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Myanmar: Military-Backed Constitution Approved

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May 14, 2008 9:15 pm US/Pacific

Myanmar: Military-Backed Constitution Approved

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) ― Myanmar has announced that a military-backed constitution was overwhelmingly approved by voters in last week's referendum.

State radio said Thursday that the draft constitution, which critics say is designed to solidify the military's rule, was approved by over 92 percent of the 22 million eligible voters. It put turnout at more than 99 percent.

Voting has been postponed in two regions battered by a deadly cyclone but the results of the late balloting cannot mathematically affect the outcome.

The document guarantees 25 percent of parliamentary seats to the military and allows the president to hand over all power to the armed forces in a state of emergency. Critics say these elements contradict the junta's professed commitment to democracy.

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