[JURIST] The military government of Myanmar [JURIST news archive] announced in a television broadcast Saturday that it will hold a constitutional referendum in May, with multi-party elections to follow in 2010. Last September a National Convention originally called in 1993 concluded [JURIST report] work on guidelines for a new national charter. The exact subject-matter of the referendum has yet to be declared, however.

The last general elections in Myanmar were held in 1990. The National League for Democracy (NLD), lead by Aung San Suu Kyi, won that election easily, but the ruling military government did not recognize the result and placed Suu Kyi under house arrest. AFP has more. BBC News has additional coverage.