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BANGKOK: Leaked copies of Myanmar’s new
constitution, in hefty green paperbacks secretly circulating in
Yangon revealed that the military will receive sweeping powers that
ensure its dominance even after elections.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the detained
pro-democracy leader who is the regime’s most formidable foe, is
clearly barred from the presidency and she would be unlikely to
qualify even for a parliamentary seat, the document shows.
The ruling junta plans to bring
the constitution to a referendum in May, in anticipation of
elections slated for 2010.
The public has so far had no
chance to review the final draft, and a handful of leaked copies of
the 194-page document are the only versions so far available.
A copy obtained by Agence France-Presse
shows that while the constitution would set up a civilian government
and grant civil rights to the people, it is peppered with caveats
that allow the military to easily reassert direct control in the
interest of national security.
States of emergency could be
declared not only to battle insurgencies, but to combat the threat
of “disintegration of national solidarity.” The military would
receive immunity from prosecution for actions taken under emergency
rule.
--AFP
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