U.N. special envoy on Myanmar Ibrahim Gambari urged the country's junta Thursday to "reconsider" and incorporate greater freedoms in a draft constitution it compiled for a referendum planned for May and said he intends to discuss the matter with Myanmar leaders in his visit to the country next week.
Gambari said in an interview in Tokyo that an early release of democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi is indispensable to the future process of Myanmar's democratization and the opinions of her National League for Democracy party should be more reflected in a constitution.
"We hope during my next visit to discuss with them (junta officials) and . . . try to persuade them to reconsider so that this constitution would be broader," Gambari said, noting he will visit Myanmar next week.