Myanmar designates constituency for region or state parliamentary election
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The Myanmar Union Election Commission has designated one constituency for election of parliamentary representatives for each ethnic minority in each region or state across the country in running the forthcoming 2010 multi-party general election scheduled for Nov. 7, according to an announcement of the commission released on Saturday.
There are seven regions and seven states in Myanmar according to the new state constitution, namely Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Bago, Magway, Ayeyawaddy, Yangon and Mandalay regions, and Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon, Rakhine, Shan and Chin states.
According to the region or state parliamentary election law, the region or state parliament is to be made up of two representatives from each township in the region or state with each representative elected from each ethnic minority determined by the authorities as having a population which constitutes 0.1 percent and above of the population of the union.
The law reserves an equal number of one-third of the total number of parliamentary representatives by representatives from the military personnel nominated by the commander-in-chief of the defense services in the region or state parliamentary election.
The commission has on the last two days set 330 constituencies for parliamentary house of representatives election and 12 constituencies for parliamentary house of nationalities election in each region or state across the country in running the election.
So far, the commission has granted legal registration of a total of 40 political parties out of 47 which sought for entering the polls. The remaining seven are awaiting for approval.
The 40 contesting political parties are made up of 35 new and five old parties left by the 1990 general election.
As a follow-up, the commission on Friday announced Aug. 16-30 for submission of the names of contesting candidates for the constituencies of the respective parliaments.
Myanmar government announced a seven-step roadmap in August 2003 which mainly includes the reconvening of national convention, drafting of new state constitution, holding of national referendum on drafted constitution, sponsoring general election and formation of new civilian government.
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