| Electoral Dilemmas (2008) | |||||||||||||||
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| With the referendum process now completed, the Burmese military government is preparing for elections in 2010. The obviously manipulated nature of the referendum in May (according to which, over 92% of the population endorsed the military-drafted constitution) has led many observers and political actors to doubt whether the forthcoming elections are worth competing in. A number of opposition groups have condemned the whole process as a sham. Unfortunately however, they have not proposed any realistic alternatives to bring about sustainable and inclusive political change in Burma. ¶ Many activists hope for some kind of external intervention. Although the US and some other governments may be prepared to keep up the sanctions regime, the international community's response to Cyclone Nargis (the failure to follow through on threats to mobilise the 'Responsibility to Protect' doctrine) indicate that Western powers are unlikely to offer more than limited and largely rhetorical support to the democracy movement in Burma. ¶ Therefore, if change is going to come to the country, it will have to be driven by internal political dynamics.. no | |||||||||||||||
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