Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the army chief who took power in a coup in 2014, has insisted before that he will hold elections in 2017 but until now had not given a specific month.
Advertisement
With 94 per cent of the vote counted, early results from the Election Commission showed 61.4 per cent of the country had voted for the charter, while 37.9 per cent rejected it.
“The gap is wide enough not to change the result”, said Srisutthiyakorn.
Campaigning against the draft in the run-up to the referendum was banned and dozens of people were detained. So-called independent bodies, stacked with conservative appointees, would hold “disproportionately broad and unchecked powers” over elected politicians, said the worldwide human rights consortium FIDH and the Union for Civil Liberty in Thailand.
The junta has said the constitution is created to heal more than a decade of divisive politics in Thailand that has dented growth and left scores dead in civil unrest.
General Prayuth, the current Prime Minister and leader of the 2014 coup, had also been out early to vote, although he remained uncharacteristically silent. He also warned against some elements who still try to distort the fact about the charter claiming that it was a military-mandated charter.
“The goal is to keep the political party system fragmented to bring about a coalition government that will not be dominated by a single party”, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science professor at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University. Election officials put the turnout at 54.6 percent of eligible voters.
A companion ballot measure would give the military junta the authority to fill the Senate with its appointees and give the Senate power to choose a prime minister. On that point, she echoed the European Union statement saying: “We strongly urge the government to lift restrictions on civil liberties, including freedom of expression, the right to peacefully assemble, so the Thai people can engage in an open, unimpeded dialogue about the country’s political future”. “The outcome is our best case scenario and investors should react positively as it’s clear that the election will happen next year”, said Kasem Prunratanamala, head of research at CIMB Securities. The results were released Sunday after voting in the referendum ended because of a ban on any activity that could influence voters, including bans on political rallies and independent campaigns.
While approval of the constitution will lead re-installing an elected government, it will be a weaker one than before the coup.
Under the junta’s “roadmap” to restore democratic rule, Prayuth had previously said a general election would be held in 2017.
Critics say the amendments greatly enhance the power of the military, and ensure it will have a grip over Thai politics for at least five more years.
“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. This will be the nation’s 20th constitution in that time and the fifth in a decade. Leading the other side is Thailand’s traditional ruling class and royalists – known as the “yellow shirts” – unnerved by Thaksin’s support, especially as it contemplates its future.
In Thailand’s rural heartland, supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra say they will focus on winning an election next year, even though they would have to govern on military terms if they win.
The vote comes amidst concern about the health of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 88.
Advertisement
The upper house will keep elected lawmakers in check, while courts and other watchdog bodies will be given increased powers – despite already being accused of political bias.
