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YANGON - Myanmar's military government unveiled a timetable for the country's first elections in two decades, but it is unclear if detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will be allowed to stand.
The surprise weekend announcement of a constitutional referendum in May to set the stage for elections in 2010 appeared to catch her National League for Democracy off guard.
If held, the elections would be the first since 1990, when her NLD swept to victory -- only for the military to refuse to accept that result.
Western nations have been piling pressure on the hardline government to reform since it suppressed mass pro-democracy protests in September.
The rallies, spearheaded by Buddhist monks, posed the biggest challenge to military rule in nearly 20 years, and the United Nations estimates at least 31 people were killed in the ensuing crackdown.
Thailand-based Myanmar analyst Win Min said the military government was trying to defuse both international pressure and lingering domestic tensions by announcing its timetable.
The military government "may worry about possible mass movements again, so this is to cool down the people not to do demonstrations," he said.
The official New Light of Myanmar newspaper devoted its front page Sunday to a warning from senior military leader Than Shwe.
He accused unnamed "destructive elements" of trying "to constantly hinder and sabotage our development tasks," also urging the public to "always remain vigilant against these elements and ward off the dangers posed by them."
The military announcement on state media did not give an exact date for the May referendum or the 2010 elections.
The government has yet to unveil the final version of its proposed constitution, but the guidelines produced by the secretive convention that drafted the text appear to bar Aung San Suu Kyi from running for president.
One clause bars anyone married to foreigners from standing -- Aung San Suu Kyi was married to Briton Michael Aris, who died in 1999.
Another clause requires the president to have a "military vision" of state affairs.
The charter would also reserve one quarter of all seats in parliament for serving officers, who would be appointed by the commander-in-chief.
The NLD, which boycotted the final sessions of the constitutional talks to protest Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest, said it was "surprised" the military had set an election date before knowing the outcome of the referendum.
"How can they know if it will be a success? It is still early to talk about an election," NLD spokesman Nyan Win said.
Former colonial power Britain also gave a guarded response to the military announcement, noting that Myanmar -- formerly known as Burma -- continued to detain key political leaders and the election process was decided without any consultation.
"The transition to democracy in Burma requires the participation of all political stakeholders," a Foreign Office spokeswoman in London said.
"The military rulers should release Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners without delay. Together they should work on the road to democracy and a secure future for Burma."
Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been confined to her home for 12 of the last 18 years, was under house arrest at the time of the 1990 election victory.
The military, ignoring the result of that election, instead opened a National Convention to draft a new constitution.
After 14 years of fitful talks, the convention wrapped up its work in early September, and it is that constitution which is up for referendum. - AFP/ir
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