Myanmar blames typo for tough clause in constitution

The Straits Time
YANGON - MYANMAR officials said on Wednesday that a typographical error was to blame for a tough clause restricting amendments to the military regime's proposed constitution.

The constitution, which is set to go before voters in a referendum next month, has not yet been released to the public for review.

But leaked copies of the final document said amendments would need approval 'by all the voters'.

Earlier drafts of the text had said that such amendments would require approval of 'more than half of all the voters.'

Myanmar's Constitution Drafting Committee said in a letter to the country's Foreign Correspondents Club that the change was an accident caused by 'some dropped words in the new constitution.'

The letter said the clause would be corrected to read that the constitution 'shall be amended with a majority vote of more than half of those who have the right to vote,' instead of 'all eligible voters who have the right to vote.'

The letter was dated April 1 from the remote capital Naypyidaw, but only received on Wednesday in Yangon.

Changing the constitution would still be difficult, because amendments would also require approval of 75 per cent of parliament.

The new basic law would give the military control of 25 per cent of the seats, making it almost impossible to approve changes without the consent of the generals.

The 194-page draft constitution also bars pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from running in elections, while giving the military broad power to declare a state of emergency and reimpose direct rule by the generals.

Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for more than 12 of the last 18 years, led her National League for Democracy to a landslide victory in 1990 elections, but the junta never allowed them to take office.

Myanmar has been ruled by the military since 1962, but the current regime tossed out the constitution when it seized power in 1988 after crushing a pro-democracy uprising.

At least 3,000 people are believed to have been killed in the crackdown. -- AFP