Thais vote in referendum on new charter

Bangkok, Aug 7: tiol referendum on Thailand’s 2016 draft constitution and its additiol question begins at 8 a.m. (0100 GMT) on Sunday, while a general election in 2017 is promised by the present government irrespective of the outcome. Major figures such as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, former Prime Ministers Yingluck Shiwatra and Abhisit Vejjajiva have already cast their votes, Xinhua news agency reported.

The voting will close at all 94,000 polling stations at 4 p.m. (0900 GMT), and the unofficial results will be known before 9 p.m. (1400 GMT), according to the Election Commission. This is the second referendum after 2007. Around 50.5 million Thais of the total population of 65 million are eligible to vote this time, compared to 45 million eligible in the last referendum. The Election Commission has set a goal of 80 per cent turnout, against the 57.61 per cent turnout in 2007.

Once passed, the draft constitution will become the 20th constitution since the country became a constitutiol morchy in 1932 and there will be a general election in 2017, according to the roadmap of the Junta’s leader.

On the ballot there are two questions: “Do you accept the 2016 draft of the constitution?” and “In order to reform the country continuously according to the strategy, should the Sete be allowed to join the House of Representatives in the voting process to select a prime minister for the first five-year period after the first tiol Assembly is formed under this constitution?”

The result of the second question, if passed, will be added to the Transitory Provisions of the constitution and thus give 250 setors picked by the current junta, or the tiol Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), power to elect a Prime Minister along with 500 elected members of House of Representatives.

If the draft is voted down along with the additiol questions, there has to be a new draft constitution before a general election, said the Prime Minister. He has earlier already said the general election would be held next year regardless of the referendum outcome.

Suthep Thaugsuban, who led the protest against Yingluck Shiwatra’s Pheu Thai Party government from 2013 to 2014 that paved the way for the 2014 coup, expressed his strong support to the draft constitution and called it an anti-corruption one and said it will help to reform the country. (IANS)