Myanmar to hold elections in 2010

Yangon: Myanmar's ruling military leaders on Saturday announced elections will be held in 2010.

The junta also said that a national referendum to approve a new constitution will be held in May.

"The time has now come to change from military rule to democratic civilian rule," official announcements on state radio and television said.

Critics said the proposed constitution will likely be unfair and undemocratic. The opposition party called the announcement "vague, incomplete and strange".

Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been under military rule since 1962 and has not had a constitution since the last one was scrapped in 1988.