A/HRC/8/12 page 5 of September 2007. He also reviews the impact on the human rights situation of the people of Myanmar of tropical cyclone Nargis and on access to humanitarian assistance. Furthermore, the report includes the Special Rapporteur’s overview of the methodology and programme of work that he would like to follow in discharging his mandate. 7. The Special Rapporteur addressed two letters to the Government of Myanmar. In the first letter, dated 6 May 2008, he expressed his distress and profound sympathy to the people of Myanmar following the devastating cyclone; in the second letter, dated 7 May, he focused on establishing formal contacts by introducing himself and requesting to visit the country. The Government of Myanmar responded to his first letter, expressing its deep appreciation on behalf of the people of Myanmar for his kind message regarding the tragic event, noting that the Special Rapporteur’s support and encouragement reflected the cooperation between the Government of Myanmar and the Council. At the time of finalization of the present report, the Special Rapporteur had not yet received any reply to his request for a visit. He very much hopes that, in accordance with the sense of collaboration expressed in the above-mentioned communication, his request will be accepted by the Government. 8. The Special Rapporteur would like to benefit from the expertise developed by his predecessors and explore with the authorities, national partners and the people of Myanmar positive ways to address the main human rights challenges in the country. He would also like to thank OHCHR and its Regional Office for South-East Asia for the support received in the implementation of his mandate. II. HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS 9. In its resolution 7/31, the Council requested the Special Rapporteur to report to it at its eighth session on the implementation of resolutions S-5/1 and 6/33. In those resolutions, the Council addressed a number of requests to the Government of Myanmar in substantive thematic areas. With regard to the current constitutional process, the Council requested the Government to lift all restraints on the peaceful political activities of all persons by, inter alia, guaranteeing freedom of peaceful assembly and association and freedom of opinion and expression, including for free and independent media, and to ensure unhindered access to media information for the people of Myanmar and to engage urgently in a reinvigorated national dialogue with all parties with a view to achieving genuine national reconciliation, democratization and the establishment of the rule of law. The Special Rapporteur therefore considers it relevant to provide the Council with the information set out below. A. Developments in the constitutional process, including the referendum 10. On 19 February 2008, the finalization of the draft Constitution, the fourth step in the Government’s 7-step road map to democracy, was announced. On 9 April, it was announced that the referendum on the adoption of the new Constitution was scheduled for 10 May 2008, with multiparty democratic elections scheduled by the Government for 2010. The people of Myanmar have not been called to vote since 1990. 11. Copies of the 457-article draft Constitution were officially made public on 9 April and were reportedly on sale in bookshops at the price of 1,000 kyat ($1) a copy, a price that was reportedly unaffordable for a significant proportion of the population. The short time frame