Burmese junta goes ahead with ballot despite disaster

VOTING began in Burma today as the military government pushed ahead with a controversial ballot despite the devastating cyclone that killed tens of thousands.

Balloting was taking place across most of the country on a controversial constitution proposal, even though aid is only just trickling through to help those left starving and homeless by the disaster.

The vote has been put off for two weeks in the areas hit hardest by Cyclone Nargis, including Rangoon, Burma's biggest city.

An estimated one million people of the country's 51 million population have been made homeless by the storm, with more than 60,000 dead or missing.

The disaster has overshadowed the vote, which is considered by many to be a foregone conclusion anyway because the rules are skewed to favour the military junta that has ruled since 1962.

UN officials have voiced frustration at the barriers that Burma's ruling junta have imposed to providing supplies and aid workers.

The UN is seeking about £95 million from donor nations to help the cyclone's survivors.

The Burmese ambassador to the UN, Kyaw Tint Swe, said his country "intends to co-operate", but that the response "has to be orderly".