The National League for Democracy (NLD) said the regime had yet to provide meaningful assistance to hundreds of thousands of victims four days after the storm hit.

“We haven’t seen effective assistance to storm victims, even though the authorities have declared (regions) as disaster zones,” the party said in a statement.

“It is extremely unacceptable because they are giving priority to the constitution process without respecting the social difficulties faced by people during this disaster.”

Myanmar’s military rulers announced Tuesday that they would go ahead with a referendum on Saturday in most of the country, despite the cyclone damage.

The voting will take place two weeks later in the 47 townships hardest-hit by the cyclone, state television announced.

The balloting will be the first in Myanmar in nearly two decades.

The NLD called for international assistance to help ease the suffering of the hundreds of thousands of people believed to be homeless after the storm, as well as for help in rebuilding roads, schools, hospitals and other damaged facilities.

“The NLD especially requests, on behalf of the people, international assistance, including from the United Nations, as soon as possible to rebuild basic infrastructure quickly and to ease the suffering of the people,” the statement said.

“The NLD will help and cooperate to deliver these international supplies to the storm victims quickly and correctly,” it added, urging the party’s members to help the victims of the cyclone.