(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-05-10 09:17

YANGON - A nationwide referendum on a draft constitution commenced in Myanmar on Saturday morning as scheduled with people across the country starting to go to poll to cast votes on the charter.

The referendum is being held across the country except areas still declared as natural-disaster-hit regions.

As 40 townships in Yangon division out of 45 and 7 townships out of 26 in the southwestern Ayeyawaddy division are under such status, ballot casting in these areas is postponed to a fortnight later on May 24.

There remains only five remote townships in the division -- Htantabin, Hlegu, Hmawby, Taikkyi and Cocokyun, and 19 townships in the Ayeyawaddy division where polling is taking place as in the whole country.

According to official estimation, there is a total population of 57 million in the whole of Myanmar with up-to-age population or eligible voters accounting for about 27 million.

Of the country's 57 million population, Yangon represents 7 million, while Ayeyawaddy 6 million.

According to the referendum law, it allows free and secret casting of votes on the draft constitution and open counting of the votes to ensure the referendum be free and fair.

The polling booths are set to close in late afternoon at 4 p.m. (0930 GMT) after which ballot counting will be done.

According to the draft constitution, the constitution draft can be ratified with the majority votes-in-favor out of the votes cast by over 50 percent of eligible voters.

The 194-page 15-chapter 2008 Republic of Union of Myanmar Constitution was drafted by a 54-member State Constitution Drafting Commission in accordance with the detailed basic principles laid down by the National Convention.

The convention originally started in 1993 but first adjourned for eight years from April 1, 1996 to May 16, 2004 and formally resumed on May 17, 2004.

The referendum on the new constitution draft constitutes part of the military government's seven-step roadmap announced in 2003. The next step is to hold a multi-party democracy general election in 2010 to produce parliament representatives to hand over power to a democratically elected civil government.