Senior Gen. Than Shwe, head of the government as chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, made the announcement to mark Independence Day for Myanmar, formerly called Burma. The country was granted independence from Britain in 1948 after nearly 130 years of colonial rule.

In a front-page article in the government daily newspaper New Light of Myanmar, Than reminded people to "remain vigilant at all times against dangers posed by neocolonialists," often a code word for Western governments.

In what some analysts have said is a warning to protesters, he said that the ruling military's "Road Map, designed for the emergence of a peaceful, modern and developed nation, is the sole process for transition to democracy."

He went on to say that "plans are under way to hold elections in a systematic way this year. In that regard, the entire people have to make correct choices, then."

While the strategy has always been to hold a national election, Than has said in the past he has avoided any reference to a date. But last year he acknowledged that an election would be in 2010. It would be the first election since the annulled election in 1990 when the junta refused to recognize the landslide win by the National League for Democracy led by pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The so-called correct choices and Than's exhortations for the people to "build up a modern, developed discipline-flourishing democratic nation" are thought to be a reference to voting against the NLD should the party be given the opportunity to run.

Whoever wins the election, there is a built-in safeguard against people making a wrong choice, or at least too much of a wrong choice. According the 2008 constitution, the military, which has governed Myanmar on and off for 50 years -- and has been in power for the past 22 years -- has reserved itself a quarter of parliamentary seats.

Even if the NLD does field a candidate, it is unlikely to be Aung San Suu Kyi. She would probably remain under house arrest, observers of the Myanmar situation have said.

For its part, the NLD, no longer a recognized political party, has not said if it would contest the poll, according to a report by the British Broadcasting Corp. But in its own Independence Day statement the NLD appealed for what it called transparent and sincere dialogue towards national reconciliation.

The NLD also referred to the growing divide between rich and poor in the country and said that the majority of people were suffering. There have been unconfirmed reports in some areas of dissent in the lower ranks of the military over pay and conditions, the BBC report said.

Independence Day congratulations from many nations have included those from King Bhumibol Adulyadej of neighboring Thailand, President Hu Jintao of the People's Republic of China and Russian President Dimitry Medvedev.

Congratulations also came from the United States, one of the military's fiercest critics in the past but now also exploring a more open dialogue with the military since President Barack Obama came to power.

State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said the United States was taking a "measured approach" to elections while much of the opposition, including Aung San Suu Kyi, remain in prison or under some form of detention.

"So far we have not seen any meaningful steps by the regime to indicate it is putting in place measures that would lead to credible elections," Kelly said. "Much of the opposition's leadership remains in prison, there is no space for political dissent or debate and no freedom of press."

Setting up some form of dialogue with pro-democracy activists would show the military is moving towards useful elections, Kelly added.

The Myanmar government itself appears to be shifting into a higher election propaganda gear, despite no date officially set.

A cartoon, also in the same edition of the New Light as Than's speech, shows a group of people surrounding the healthy "tree of Myanmar." A bubble caption from one person is urging them to "keep firmly united" against "unscrupulous elements," such as the sinister-looking "internal/external destructionists," seen coming up over the hill to uproot the nation.

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