The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Yangon

Myanmar's draft constitution ensures that the country's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi cannot make a political comeback and guarantees a strong military presence in parliament, according to a copy of the proposed charter obtained Monday. The draft constitution was completed in February but has not been made public, but a copy of the document was obtained by The Associated Press.

The draft charter allots 25 percent of seats in both houses of parliament to the military. It also effectively bars Aung San Suu Kyi from becoming president or a member of parliament because she was married to a foreigner, maintaining a controversial clause from guidelines used to draft the charter. Myanmar's ruling junta has come under global criticism for its detention of pro-democracy leader Suu Kyi, who has been in prison or under house arrest for more than 12 of the past 18 years.

In September, a deadly government crackdown on pro-democracy protesters and monks drew worldwide attention to the repressive regime, which has been under international pressure to make democratic reforms. The junta subsequently announced it would hold a referendum in May on the new constitution, followed by long-awaited general elections in 2010. The junta calls the process its "roadmap to democracy."

But critics have denounced the process as a sham designed to perpetuate military rule, noting that the drafting process did not include Suu Kyi or members of her opposition National League for Democracy.