World public critical of Myanmar military refusing to invite observers.

BANGKOK, November 7 (Itar-Tass) - Myanmar is holding this Sunday
general elections for the first time over the past 20 years, by the
results of which a civil government will be formed.

In the meantime, the present military leadership of the country is
blasted in connection with its refusal to allow international observers
and the foreign press to cover the election process. The authorities
permitted only permanently accredited reporters to work at the elections;
the requests of others for entry visas were turned down.
At the same time, unidentified people had attacked the Myanmar
Internet system several days before the start of the voting, which resumed
operating only on November 6. The opposition believes that "the attack was
committed by the country's authorities themselves" and was aimed at
"interfering with foreign reporters' transmitting information in time".
Besides, according to the Democratic Voice of Burma, it is impossible
now to buy telephone cards in big cities: their sale has been banned.
The elections started all over the country, apart from the Shan State
where 460,000 people will not participate in the voting. The authorities
stated that they expect nearly a 90-percent turnout.
Meanwhile, according to Democratic voice of Burma, residents of the
country complain that representatives of the ruling party urge electors to
vote only for them directly at polling stations. "At least four people are
standing at ballot booths, and it is virtually impossible to make marks
secretly in ballot papers," the newspaper writes.
It is also reported that members of the foreign diplomatic corps in
Myanmar refused to monitor the elections over "the need to pass several
inspection cordons". "We don't intend to walk on our tiptoes at polling
stations," European Union representatives told the news service.
British Ambassador to Myanmar Andrew Heyn, now in Bangkok, told
reporters on Saturday that "nobody waits for the opposition's victory".
"We don't believe in such surprises," the diplomat added.
-0-bur/kud