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Burmese Opposition Party Sets Conditions for Elections


Burma's opposition National League for Democracy has set conditions for its participation in next year's elections.

The opposition party said in a statement Wednesday that it will consider participating in the 2010 poll if the government frees its leaders, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

The opposition also demanded changes to a controversial army-backed constitution passed last year. The final condition was that the government hold free, fair and inclusive elections with international supervision.

The party said it is also waiting for the government to release information about election rules before making its decision on whether to participate.

The National League for Democracy issued the statement following a two-day meeting in Burma's largest city, Rangoon.

More than 90 delegates at the meeting were elected to parliament during the country's last general election held in 1990. Burma's military government refused to let them take office.

The party's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has spent 13 of the last 19 years in detention. She has been under house arrest continuously since May 2003.

Burma's military leaders tolerate little dissent and have jailed thousands of people considered government critics.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.


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