YANGON (AFP) – Myanmar’s junta will go ahead with Saturday’s referendum on a new constitution despite a massive storm which killed hundreds of people and left tens of thousands homeless, state media reported.

At least 351 people were killed and nearly 100,000 left homeless when tropical cyclone Nargis tore through Myanmar, razing thousands of buildings and knocking out power lines, state media said.

Residents faced scenes of devastation after the cyclone bore through swathes of southern Myanmar late Friday and Saturday, uprooting trees, cutting phone lines and water pipes, and clogging streets with debris.

Myanmar’s state channel MRTV said on their Sunday evening news broadcast that 109 people had been killed in Haing Gyi island, just off the coast of southwestern Ayeyawaddy division where the storm first hit.

One person was killed in Nyaung Done, a township also in Ayeyawaddy, the channel reported.

An information ministry official and state media had already reported that another 222 people had died in Ayeyawaddy, while 19 others were killed in the economic hub Yangon.

Despite the disaster, local media reported that the government was pressing ahead with the referendum.

“The government of Myanmar has announced that a referendum for the draft constitution will be held on 10 May 2008 and that multi-party democracy general elections will be held in 2010 in accordance with a new constitution,” the New Light of Myanmar newspaper said on Monday.

“The referendum is going to take place in a few days’ time and the entire people of the country are eagerly looking forward to that,” it said.

The paper said the authorities were “surprised” by a UN Security Council statement urging them to ensure an “inclusive and credible” political process and reminding them of their pledge to ensure a “free and fair” vote.

Myanmar’s generals say the ballot will usher in democratic elections in 2010, but critics say it will only solidify their iron grip on power.

“The government of the Union of Myanmar is much surprised by the UN Security Council presidential statement on 2 May 2008 even though the situation in Myanmar does not threaten regional as well as international peace and security,” the newspaper said.

Detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy and other pro-democracy groups are calling for a “No” vote, but they have little ability to campaign effectively because the junta has outlawed speeches and leaflets about the referendum.

Nargis made landfall late Friday around the mouth of the Ayeyawaddy (Irrawaddy) river, about 220 kilometres (137 miles) southwest of Yangon, before hitting the country’s economic hub.

The cyclone brought down power and phone lines. Traffic lights, billboards and street lamps littered the roads after being knocked over by strong winds.

Trees in the leafy city were uprooted, crushing buildings and cars, while water pipes were also cut, forcing people out onto the streets with buckets to try and buy water from the few shops that remained open.

Roofs of houses have been torn away, while only a few taxis and buses — which tripled their fares — braved the debris-clogged streets on Sunday.

The information ministry official said boats had sunk in the country’s main port, while Yangon’s international airport was closed.

The authorities have declared disaster zones in the regions of Yangon, Ayeyawaddy, Bago, Mon and Karen states.

Thailand’s meteorological department downgraded Nargis to a depression on Sunday, but warned of flash floods and heavy rains in northern, central and eastern Thai provinces as the storm crept over the border from Myanmar.

An official at Thailand’s disaster prevention department told AFP that as of Sunday evening, there were no reports of severe flooding in the kingdom.