On May 10, 2008, the Burmese people will vote on a new constitution, a rare opportunity for the Burmese to express their political opinions about the ruling military junta's protracted path to "guided democracy." While the May referendum represents a significant step forward for the Burmese political process, Zaw Oo, professor of international development at Chiang Mai University in Thailand, argues that procedural mishaps, opacity about the language of the constitution itself, and an imminent clash between the "no vote" and "yes vote" campaigns--the former led by the Burmese democracy movement and the latter, the state news media--may negatively impact the referendum process.

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