No real change in new Burmese constitution

Conflict-plagued Burma recently released it's 200-page long constitution on Wednesday, and has already come under fire from the United States.  Through a system of referendum, the draft of the constitution is up for vote on May 10th.  The major issue that the US has with the constitution, however, is the lack of room to promote any form of real democratic change.  The constitution also did not allow for any influence from the political opposition during the entire drafting process.  

Within the draft it is stipulated that one quarter of all seats in the houses of parliament are reserved for military officers.  Additionally, it allows for the military chief to suspend the constitution whenever they see fit.  The most direct of attacks on the opposition, however, involves a clause which prohibits any citizen who has been married to a non-Burmese citizen from attaining and holding any political office.  This clause directly applies to Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party.  She had previously been married to a British citizen.  

Freedom for Burma blogs on this very issue and reports on Aung San Suu Kyi's call to all Burmese to cast a "No" vote in this referendum.  This is clearly a move which goes against the participatory vision of democracy, in which all members of political groups are involved in the decision-making process.  The exclusion of the opposition is in clear violation of these ideals, and no hope can be seen for the future of Burma if it cannot allow voices to be heard.  Aung San Suu Kyi's main complaint was that the constitution had not been written by elected representatives, rather by individuals hand-picked by the current regime.

It is up to the people to exercise their political rights and have control over their fates.