Leaked copies of Myanmar's new constitution, in hefty green paperbacks secretly circulating in Yangon, show the military will receive sweeping powers that ensure its dominance even after elections.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the detained pro-democracy leader who is the regime's most formidable foe, is clearly barred from the presidency and she would be unlikely to qualify even for a parliamentary seat, the document shows.
The ruling junta plans to bring the constitution to a referendum in May, in anticipation of elections slated for 2010. The public has so far had no chance to review the final draft, and a handful of leaked copies of the 194-page document are the only versions so far available.
A copy obtained by AFP shows that while the constitution would set up a civilian government and grant civil rights to the people, it is peppered with caveats that allow the military to easily reassert direct control in the interest of national security.
States of emergency could be declared not only to battle insurgencies, but to combat the threat of "disintegration of national solidarity." The military would receive immunity from prosecution for actions taken under emergency rule. Existing security laws used to jail political dissidents and suppress dissent would remain in effect, and parties would be required to practise "discipline-flourishing genuine multi-party democracy."