A multi-party general election began across Myanmar Sunday morning under the 5th step of the country's seven-step roadmap with people starting to go to polls and cast votes at respective polling booths.

Residents line up to cast their vote at the polling station in central Yangon as Myanmar holds its elections November 7, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

Residents in Myanmar's new capital of Nay Pyi Taw started to go to polls on Sunday morning at 6 a.m. (2330 GMT Saturday), the official start of the voting, with a large number of local people casting votes as part of the country's multi-party general election that began on the day.

Before the starting hours, voters have been crowded in front of a kindergarten in Zabuthiri township where the constituency No. 1 was set up for the polling.

The parliamentary election, which represents the first in two decades, is underway nationwide on secret polling system, observed regionwise by over a dozen groups of foreign diplomats and United Nations officials based in Myanmar.

Local and foreign newsmen stationed in Myanmar are also arranged to take news in different parts of the country.

A total of 37 political parties, approved by the Union Election Commission as being qualified for the election entry, took part in the polls held across the country's seven regions and seven ethnic states for over 1,000 parliamentary seats.

A total of over 3,000 parliamentary candidates including 82 independent ones are contesting for about 1,160 parliamentary seats, of which 326 are reserved for the House of representatives, 168 for the house of Nationalities and 665 for region or state parliament.

The house of representatives and the house of nationalities make up the Union Parliament.

Representing the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) as a candidate , Prime Minister U Thein Sein contests against U Kyaw Aye, candidate of the National Unity Party (NUP), for the seat of house of representatives.

USDP's U Khin Maung Htay contest against U Myint Oo of NUP and U Aung Zaw Oo of Union of Myanmar Federation of National Politics for the seat of house of nationalities.

In Nay Pyi Taw's eight townships, four parties and two independents with a total of 25 candidates contest. The USDA candidates to compete for the parliamentary house of representatives include four state leaders -- SPDC member Thura U Shwe Mann, Prime Minister U Thein Sein and SPDC First Secretary Thiha Thura U Tin Aung Myint Oo.

The other three parties are National Unity Party (NUP), National Political Alliance League (NPAL) and Union of Myanmar Federation of National Politics.

There are 1,159 constituencies established townshipwise for the parliamentary election, of which 54 require no polling as these townships each register only one candidate with no opponent in contest. Of the 54 candidates, the Union Solidarity and Development Party shares 52.

With 29 million qualified voters out of nearly 60 million's population in the whole country, Yangon region accounts for 4.4 million, while Mandalay 4.399 million.

The country has a total of 40,000 polling booths, of which 6, 000 are in Yangon region, while 5,800 in Mandalay.