Referendum for the new constitution

The new charter and referendum received a whole lot of publicity, mainly because it would determine if the National Council for Peace and Order\'s political roadmap would stick.

The Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC), chaired by Meechai Ruchupan, completed its draft in March and as expected the document was full of controversial and potentially divisive issues. Among them were the complex electoral system seen to be favouring small political parties rather than the big ones and the CDC’s last-minute decision to let the military regime have the last word on the appointment of all 250 senators which was seen as prolonging the military’s grip on power.

Critics were further stunned when the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) voted to accept an extra question to be asked at the charter referendum. The question asked if the Senate should join MPs in selecting the next prime minister during a five-year transition period. Speculation had intensified that attempts were underway to allow a non-elected prime minister to come to power after the next general election.

Two major parties, the Democrat and Pheu Thai parties, voiced disagreement over the charter content and the extra question.

charter content and the extra question. Just days before the referendum, Prime Minister and junta chief Prayut Chan-o-cha declared he would vote ‘yes’—a move seen as a last-ditch attempt to galvanise the draft constitution’s passage.

As it turned out, the draft charter and the extra question were endorsed at the August 7 vote with 16.82 million votes, or 61.35%.