Part of the people voted “yes” due to their misunderstanding that once we have a constitution we will have an election and the military will be gone.
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The Government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a retired army general, used its sweeping powers to ban political rallies and independent campaigns against the draft constitution, and allowed virtually no debates on it. Opponents say this was done to ensure that people would have little knowledge about the constitution’s provisions.
With 91 percent of the ballots counted, 62 percent of voters across the country approved the 2016 draft constitution, while about 38 percent voted against it, Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, chairman of the Election Commission, told reporters. Thailand has been rocked by more than a decade of political turmoil that has stunted growth, two military takeovers and several rounds of often deadly street protests.
Critics say the charter is the military’s attempt to make good on its failure to banish Thaksin from Thai politics after the coup in 2006.
But the family is loathed by an arch-royalist Bangkok elite which is backed by the military, and by southern voters who accuse the Shinawatras of corruption and populism.
A democratically elected government will take power in Thailand at the earliest by December 2017, a senior Thai official said on Monday, after the country endorsed a military-backed constitution paving the way for a general election.
Some Thais going to vote were quoted in the Thai media as saying they did not understand what they were voting for.
The desire to see a quick election may have convinced some voters to vote in favour of the charter, despite reservations, said Cherdchai Tontisirin, a former Puea Thai member of parliament for Khon Kaen.
“At the headquarters of the anti-government United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) group, some people wept as the result became clear”. “What will we do next?”
Still, his position didn’t align with the referendum results from his party’s own strongholds in Bangkok or in the nation’s southern provinces, where the charter was overwhelmingly approved with nearly 77 percent of the vote.
Prayuth has made the assurance before when attending a cabinet meeting with the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) at Government House.
Amid the crackdown surrounding the constitution, the authorities have detained and charged dozens of people who have spoken against it, including politicians and student activists.
“This is a grand day for the resurrection of enshrined military power”, said Paul Chambers, director of research at the Institute of Southeast Asian Affairs in Chiang Mai. “As a result many voters did not show up while others felt compelled to vote “yes”.
Siripan Nogsuan Sawasdee, a political science professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, said the election results were contrary to the push toward democracy in Western society. “They will feel confident from this vote about rolling out their plans for the transitional period”. But Thais have experienced the benefits of democracy and Sunday’s vote offers hope of a restoration.
SUAREZ: Why do you think so many people would vote to essentially dilute democratic rule? King Bhumibol Adulyadej, whose righteous rule has anchored the kingdom since 1946, is 88 and ailing. The military has for decades invoked its duty as defender of the monarch to justify its interventions in politics.
“The importance of this referendum for me is how we move the country forward and I’ve come to exercise my right to vote”, said Vethas, a local resident.
Thaksin lives in self-imposed exile but retains a strong influence, particularly with his rural support base in the north.
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Opposition to the junta was muted ahead of the vote in Thailand’s northeast, once a hotbed of resistance.
