Thais to vote on military-drafted charter

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

BANGKOK, Aug 18 (Reuters) Thais vote on a military-drafted constitution few have read or understood in a referendum expected to approve a charter that will pave the way for a return to an elected government by the end of the year.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont called on Thais to vote in the plebiscite on the charter, which would also limit the power of the country's politicians.

''This is a critical transition for Thailand, so I would like to ask people to go out and vote,'' Surayud said in a television interview today, nearly a year after twice-elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in a bloodless military coup.

Despite reservations, voters in Thailand's first-ever plebiscite are likely to approve the draft in the hope of ending more than 18 months of political turmoil that has held back economic growth.

Election officials said they expect at least 60 per cent of 45 million voters to cast their ballots, but torrential rain and flash floods could keep people away from polling stations.

The referendum requires a simple 50 per cent majority to pass a constitution designed to prevent the re-emergence of a strong, single-party government like Thaksin's.

However, analysts say approval of the charter would see a return to the constantly collapsing coalitions of the early 1990s.

A majority vote against the constitution, drafted by a council appointed by the country's military rulers, would allow the military to pick one of Thailand's previous 17 constitutions, revise it and promulgate it within 30 days.

Coup leader and army chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin said on Friday hat if the charter was rejected, it would take him ''a couple of days'' to pick his favourite constitution and make amendments to it.

Despite objections to certain articles, many Thais are expected to support the draft in order to get to elections that would produce a parliament able to amend it.

Analysts say the charter would put the country back in the era of ''managed democracy'' of the 1980s under ex-army chief Prem Tinsulanonda, now chief royal adviser and seen by the Thaksin camp as the coup mastermind.

Election officials expect to have a preliminary result of the referendum tomorrow and an official result on Monday.

Reuters SYU DB2327

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