Thais endorse draft constitution, polls show
Monday, 20 August 2007
BANGKOK, Aug19 (Internet): Thai voters endorsed a new constitution Sunday as the country eases its way toward the end of nearly a year of military rule and into the messy politics of a democratic election, exit polls showed.
A survey by Suan Dusit Institute showed that 68 per cent of voters in a nationwide referendum had voted yesterday, while the ABAC poll put the number at more than 70 per cent.
The Election Commission said unofficial reports had shown that more than 60 per cent of the 45.6 million eligible voters had appeared at the polls, a strong turnout that would appear to give the coup leaders the public endorsement they had sought.
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont called the results "the first step in moving forward to full democracy."
"If people see that there are some flaws in the constitution," he added, "then the next government will be the one to amend the constitution."
Analysts say the charter,drawn up under the eye of the ruling generals, returns the country to democracy but weakens the influence of electoral politics and strengthens the hand of the bureaucracy and the military.
With the adoption of the constitution, the government has promised an election in December, the final act in what they called a pro-democracy coup last Sept. 19.
The election will take place in a dramatically changed political context following the banning of the party of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in the coup and remains in exile in London.
Many of leaders of the party, Thai Rak Thai, were barred from politics for five years after a court ruled that the party had engaged in electoral fraud.
Thaksin faces an arrest warrant on corruption charges if he returns home.
Thai Rak Thai had dominated the country for six years, winning the first outright majority of any party in Parliament. The new constitution makes it difficult for that to happen again, returning the country to the deal-making of small-party politics and fragile, short-lived coalition governments.
A survey by Suan Dusit Institute showed that 68 per cent of voters in a nationwide referendum had voted yesterday, while the ABAC poll put the number at more than 70 per cent.
The Election Commission said unofficial reports had shown that more than 60 per cent of the 45.6 million eligible voters had appeared at the polls, a strong turnout that would appear to give the coup leaders the public endorsement they had sought.
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont called the results "the first step in moving forward to full democracy."
"If people see that there are some flaws in the constitution," he added, "then the next government will be the one to amend the constitution."
Analysts say the charter,drawn up under the eye of the ruling generals, returns the country to democracy but weakens the influence of electoral politics and strengthens the hand of the bureaucracy and the military.
With the adoption of the constitution, the government has promised an election in December, the final act in what they called a pro-democracy coup last Sept. 19.
The election will take place in a dramatically changed political context following the banning of the party of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in the coup and remains in exile in London.
Many of leaders of the party, Thai Rak Thai, were barred from politics for five years after a court ruled that the party had engaged in electoral fraud.
Thaksin faces an arrest warrant on corruption charges if he returns home.
Thai Rak Thai had dominated the country for six years, winning the first outright majority of any party in Parliament. The new constitution makes it difficult for that to happen again, returning the country to the deal-making of small-party politics and fragile, short-lived coalition governments.