World IN BRIEF : MYANMAR : Vote Begins in Rare Multi-Party Election
About 20 million eligible voters began voting today in Myanmar’s first multi-party election in 30 years. But with opposition leaders under arrest, diplomats doubt a return to democracy is near. A diplomat based in Yangon, the capital, said there is no indication that the military junta that seized power in September, 1988, is ready to give up power. Election officials said a total of 2,209 candidates from 93 political parties are running for office, marking the first time since 1960 that multiple parties have been allowed to compete in Myanmar, formerly Burma.
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