YANGON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar will hold its constitutional referendum as scheduled on May 10, the State Radio announced Tuesday.

    However, referendum activities in some townships, hit by a recent cyclone storm and is not yet returning to normal, will be put off, the radio quoted First Secretary of the State Peace and Development Council Lieutenant-General Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo as saying.

    The five divisions and states hit by the cyclone, three divisions and states of Bago, Mon and Kayin as well as five townships of Yangon division and 19 townships of Ayeyawaddy division have basically returned to normal, while 40 other townships in Yangon and seven townships in Ayeyawaddy divisions have not reached the status yet.

    Therefore, the Commission for Holding Nationwide Referendum announced that the nationwide constitutional referendum will be held as scheduled on May 10 covering the three disaster-hit divisions and states and those townships in two other divisions claimed to have returned to normal or withdrawn from the status ofbeing disaster-hit regions.

    Those 47 townships in Yangon and Ayeyawaddy divisions, claimed to be still affected by the cyclone or still designated as disaster-hit regions, will be put off to a fortnight on May 24.

    The new announcement on the referendum date came three days after some southwestern coastal cities and the former capital of Yangon were hit by Cyclone Nargis from last Friday to Saturday, inflicting heavy damage to the areas.

    The Myanmar government has declared five divisions and states --Yangon, Bago, Ayeyawaddy, Kayin and Mon, as natural-disaster-hit regions and relief and resettlement work is underway.

    Myanmar has earlier announced eligible voters' list across the country to cast ballots in the upcoming nationwide constitutional referendum.