Thailand says ‘yes’ to military-influenced rule

Many citizens were unaware of new constitution’s pitfalls prior to voting, critics say

BANGKOK— Thai voters on Sunday overwhelmingly approved a new junta-backed constitution that lays the foundation for a civilian government influenced by the military and controlled by appointed — rather than elected — officials.

Although near-final results showed that more than 60 per cent of voters in a referendum called by the military government approved of the constitution, the vote is likely to be met by some skepticism. The junta — led by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a retired army general who has severely curtailed dissent since coming to power in a 2014 coup — imposed severe restrictions on public discussion of the proposed constitution.

Ahead of the referendum, the junta banned political rallies and open discussion about the constitution, while criticism of the draft was made punishable by 10 years in jail. 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 “yes” vote “adds that touch of legitimacy to the coup makers,” Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an associate professor at the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies of Kyoto University in Japan, told The Associated Press.

“It gives them the green light for the next few steps they want to take. They will say the opposition cannot say anything now,” said Pavin, who is Thai and is a vocal critic of the junta.

Prayuth’s office, however, said in a statement late Sunday that the refer- endum “was conducted with a high degree of transparency and openness on part of the government.”

Despite the curbs on civil liberties, Prayuth’s rule has brought a measure of stability and ended the frequent street violence and divisive politics that had frayed Thailand’s social fabric for years. That veneer of stability could help explain the “yes” vote for the new constitution.

There was also the allure of elections that Prayuth has promised to hold in 2017, after the approval of the new constitution, although he’s said he would call the vote even if the referendum was defeated.

The charter “speaks to a lot of worries and concerns that a majority of Thai people have,” Gothom Areeya, a professor at Thailand’s Mahidol University, told the AP. “Many Thais want to see an end to corruption and the return of peace and development. Even though experts like me may criticize it a lot, our message just didn’t reach a lot of the people.”

With 94 per cent of the ballots tallied when counting was suspended for the night, 61per cent of voters said they approved of the constitution, while 39 per cent rejected it. The official final count is expected to be issued on Wednesday.

Only about 58 per cent of Thailand’s roughly 50 million registered voters cast ballots in the referendum.

The referendum also asked a supplementary question on whether voters wanted an appointed Senate to choose a prime minister. That question elicited a less enthusiastic approval — 58 per cent “yes” and 42 per cent “no.”

Analysts have said that a “yes” vote would be a setback for democracy in Thailand. Pavin said that even when the military is no longer in power and a civilian government is in place after the 2017 elections, the military “will have the constitution as a remote control. The constitution can be used as a device to hold onto political power.” The main criticisms of the draft constitution are:

A transition period of at least five years to civilian rule.

A 250-member appointed Senate that includes the commanders of the army and other security services.

A deadlock in the 500-member elected lower house could trigger a selection of a prime minister who is not an elected member of parliament. Under the abolished 2007 constitution, half the Senate was elected, and the prime minister had to come from the lower house.

Emergency decrees enacted by the junta without any parliamentary consent remain valid.

Thailand has endured 13 successful military coups and11attempted takeovers since it replaced an absolute monarchy with a constitutional one in 1932. This would be Thailand’s 20th constitution.