With many voters unaware of the details of what would be the nation’s 20th constitution since 1932 and the fifth in the past decade, the referendum for many was an opportunity to express their support or opposition to the junta.
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Thai voters have approved a controversial constitution drafted by the ruling junta, according to preliminary results.
There’s also the fact that the military government kept a tight lid on debate on the constitution, meaning many may not have realized it was flawed.
Once formally adopted, it will allow for a junta-appointed senate – including six seats reserved for military commanders.
However, the official results will be declared on Wednesday.
Backers of the 279-section draft, which was written by a committee appointed by the government, say it is aimed at eradicating graft and bringing stability to the country. “Looking to the future I am concerned that the needs of the people and the needs of the country can not be served by an administration that is dominated by bureaucratic thinking”.
“Given the mandate that’s given to the military, it would at least buy Thailand some time for the government to come up with an actual economic plan for the country”, Aim Sinpeng, lecturer in comparative politics at the University of Sydney, told CNBC.
In March, Thailand’s Election Commission said it expected 80% of eligible voters to cast a ballot in the referendum.
Since the vote key allies the European Union and the United States have called on Prayuth to hold elections as swiftly as possible and lift curbs on civil liberties imposed since his takeover.
Much has been said about how few voters actually read the latest 105-page draft Constitution in full, and how few turned up to vote. The Associated Press interviewed several people, including experts, and their opinions dovetailed into one theme: After years of political dysfunction, violence, corruption and deepening divisions in society, Thais wanted stability. It ousted the government of his sister Yingluck Shinawatra in 2014. In organising the referendum, the military regime is attempting to draw from the lessons learned from the 2006 coup that overthrew Thaksin Shinawatra.
Opponents have long accused both siblings of being corrupt.
Her brother Thaksin lives in self-imposed exile, after being convicted of abusing his power in 2008.
Overshadowing all these developments is the poor health of the ageing King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Thai soldiers line up to check their names before voting in a referendum on a new constitution at a polling station in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016.
When the new Constitution is enacted it will bar politicians from office if they have been convicted of corruption.
“But I think they accepted [the draft] because they wanted the country safe, peaceful and orderly”, Prayut said. “It won’t be politics ruled by the majority”. So we will expect to see some adjustments from the political parties. “We may see the switching of sides and some negotiations”.
Approval of the second measure on the ballot gives the junta the power to appoint the 250 members of the Senate to five-year terms and would give the senators a role in selecting the prime minister. This was previously left to the House of Representatives. “If 100,000 or a million people protest, then the soldiers won’t be able to suppress us”, he says. “It was created to make the country move forward for a change and not return to crisis”. The military’s strategy is to reduce the influence of Yingluck’s party by increasing the power of other parties and the military.
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Sodsri Satayathum, a former election commissioner, questioned how effective a coalition government could be. But the referendum was about moving politically forward, not stagnation, so the democratic governance Thailand needs to thrive and prosper has to be quickly returned. “The military and the royal alliance needs to weaken other political forms to ensure nothing is going to disrupt the dominance of the traditional elite during the succession process”, says Prajak.
