The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

In the more than 40 years since the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) imposed military rule in Burma, political freedoms have been virtually nonexistent. In 1990, when noted democracy activist Aung Sang Suu Kyi led the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) to an overwhelming victory in Burma’s first democratic elections in 30 years, the junta refused to honor the results and instead reconsolidated its repressive authority. Last year, in the wake of the humanitarian crisis caused by Cyclone Nargis, the regime held a referendum on a new constitution, which was drafted without open debate by the military. The SPDC promised that the constitution would end military rule and restore multi-party democracy, culminating in general elections in 2010. While many Burma critics have condemned the upcoming elections as a sham, member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have welcomed the move.

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