Myanmar announces enactment of long-awaited election laws to pave way for historic polls

Myanmar enacts election laws, paving way for polls

YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar on Monday announced the enactment of long awaited laws that set the stage for a historic election its ruling junta has said will take place later this year.

State radio and television said the news laws would be published in state newspapers beginning Tuesday; it gave no details about them.

Myanmar’s military government announced in early 2008 that the country’s first election in two decades would take place in 2010, but has not yet set any date for the election. A 1990 election was won by the National League for Democracy party of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, but the military refused to hand over power.

The party of Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest until November, has not yet committed itself to taking part in the polls because it claims the new constitution of 2008 is unfair. It has clauses that would ensure that the military retains a controlling say in government, and would bar Suu Kyi from holding office.