April 2, 2008 - Leaked copies of Burma's proposed new constitution show the military will maintain sweeping powers.
The leaked copies are in the form of green paperbacks and are secretly circulating in the main city of Rangoon.
The ruling junta plans to bring the constitution to a referendum in May, in anticipation of elections slated for 2010.
The public has 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 the AFP newsagency shows that while the constitution will set up a civilian government, and grant civil rights to the people, it is peppered with caveats that allow the military to easily re-assert direct control.
The document shows detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is clearly barred from the presidency, and she will be unlikely to qualify even for a parliamentary seat.
Existing security laws used to jail political dissidents and suppress dissent will remain in effect.
One quarter of the seats in parliament are reserved for the armed forces, and the president is required to be well acquainted with military affairs.
Source: ABC Radio Australia
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