Thais to Vote on Junta-backed Constitution

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha casts his ballot at a polling station during a constitutional referendum vote in Bangkok, Thailand, August 7, 2016. Thailand, seeking stability, approves military constitution Bangkok: 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. Critics say the restrictions ensured that most people were unaware of the pitfalls of the charter, and were probably anxious to get the long-drawn process over with so that they could move on.

The referendum result “demonstrates that the voters simply buy the discourse of the junta that Thailand needs the military to stabilise the country during the “transition period”, said Dr Prajak Kongkirati, a lecturer at Thammasat University’s faculty of political science.

“It gives them the green light for the next few steps they want to take”.

The referendum has been heavily criticised by rights groups and opponents of the country’s military junta. That veneer of stability could help explain the “yes” vote for the new constitution. Prayuth has promised to hold elections next year, without elaborating on how that would happen if voters reject the constitution.

With 94 percent of the ballots counted, 61.4 percent had voted in favor of the military’s proposed constitution, according to preliminary returns issued by the election commission.

The gap in both measures was wide enough that the results would not change, Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, an election official, said on television. The ban on campaigning has not stopped the junta from deploying thousands of military cadets to carry a message to Thailand’s 50 million eligible voters encouraging them to participate in the referendum. Almost 58 per cent gave “Yes” vote for the additional question.

“Although many suspected that the new charter could undermine their previously held democratic rights, the perceived risk of greater political uncertainty and economic instability, if the constitution had been voted down, was far less appealing”, said John Marrett, Research Analyst Asia at the Economist Intelligence Unit. He only said he had a roadmap to democracy under which power would be returned to a civilian government.

“This is a redo of a military coup, using fear and intimidation to force Thai people to grant an extension of their control of power”, he said.

The bitterly divided kingdom has been ruled by a junta for two years since its elected government was booted from office. Approval gives the military and the establishment authority to rule through an unelected senate, a weakened lower house, a judiciary with authority to intervene in politics and a prime minister who does not have to be a member of parliament.

“But the people have spoken and we respect that choice”, he said. “We just hope that the government can do its best in the days to come”.

Thailand has a new constitution that allows the army to fire and hire the Prime Minister of its own choice.

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.

It was written by a committee appointed by the military junta, tasked with ostensibly tackling corruption and “populism”.

The Shinawatras, through policies supporting the majority rural poor, won every election they contested, which riled royalists and other elites.

The vote comes amid concerns about the health of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 88.

Mr Shinawtra was deposed in a coup in 2006 following protests by “yellow shirts”, who accused him of corruption.

General Prayuth, the current Prime Minister and leader of the 2014 coup, had also been out early to vote, although he remained uncharacteristically silent.