CDC spokesman believes the draft charter will pass the referendum if…



BANGKOK: -- The draft constitution will pass the referendum if 80 percent of the eligible voters show up to cast their votes, Constitution Drafting Committee spokesman Amorn Wanichwiwat said on Thursday.

He said that he is confident in the silent majority and the “pure force” which has studied the draft thoroughly and will ignore all the criticisms from the draft’s opponents.

The CDC spokesman pointed out that the main problem with the draft charter is not about its complicated content or the difficulty of explanation but about certain elements trying to distort the draft.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Wisanu Krea-ngarm indicated that Section 44 of the interim constitution might be invoked to set referendum rules. He said that the organic law about referendum which was promulgated in 2009 could not be applied because it did not cover referendum about draft constitution.

Agencies tasked with making preparations for the referendum are due to meet next week to set referendum rules, the distribution of copies of the draft charter, budget for the staging of referendum and the date of the referendum among others.

Dr Wisanu assured that the meeting would not discuss a ban against any attempt or campaign against the draft charter.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/149573


-- Thai PBS 2016-02-05

A Thai "if," a very standard clause in any Thai arrangement. This Thai news goes on to report that he says that "certain elements" of Thailand are attempting to distort its true intention.

Edited February 4, 201610 yr by noitom

The draft will pass if 80% of eligible voters turn up, now that's interesting because i thought it would only take one man to say ' approved ' and that's that.

What's the hurry, they are only going to tear it up in a few years and make a a new one, and then the army can come back in and give patronage positions to the next generation of generals.

I wonder what % of the possible 80% actually know what they are voting for ?

Khun Amorn is in the highest state of denial. Even their own supporters like now dissolved NRC have negative views of the charter. Previous '07 junta charter drafters posted grave concerns. Academics, NGOs and the major political parties have attacked the draft charter. The charter is facing an uphill task and will cost the tax payers unless he take off his blindfold and have the CDC make some adjustments before the referendum.

I wonder what % of the possible 80% actually know what they are voting for ?

The winning ticket, the uninformed vote!

Why are they even worried about this when 99.3% of the population have a good understanding of this government?

Khun Amorn is in the highest state of denial. Even their own supporters like now dissolved NRC have negative views of the charter. Previous '07 junta charter drafters posted grave concerns. Academics, NGOs and the major political parties have attacked the draft charter. The charter is facing an uphill task and will cost the tax payers unless he take off his blindfold and have the CDC make some adjustments before the referendum.

"Highest state of denial." Excellent!

"the organic law about referendum which was promulgated in 2009 could not be applied because it did not cover referendum about draft constitution."

Half true but misleading.

Clarification from The Nation (Sept. 4, 2015):

"Article 37 of the interim charter of 2014 regarding vote counting in a referendum takes into account only those who exercise their right to vote, and not all eligible voters, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said yesterday.

If the country has 40 million eligible voters but only, for example, 10 million cast their ballots in the referendum, the majority of the 10 million, not 40 million, will decide the fate of the charter draft, he said.

He said the National Council for Peace and Order did not want to use the Public Referendum Act of 2009 because that law indicated that a referendum would only be legitimate if more then half of the eligible voters exercised their right to vote.

The NCPO did not want the referendum on the charter draft to be declared null and void (if there is a referendum), so it had the interim charter amended to overrule the vote-counting stipulation in the Public Referendum Act.

EC has no authority to dictate number of votes needed.

Election Commission member Prawit Rattanapian said the EC had no authority to decide on the number of votes needed for the charter to be passed in the referendum.

He said the decision on whether to count only the votes of citizens who exercise their rights or all eligible voters rested solely with the prime minister.

A source said the EC had consulted its legal adviser, Surapol Nitikraipoj, on the issue. Surapol told the EC that the charter drafters wanted only the votes of people who actually cast ballots to be counted.

During the consultation, the EC ruled out seeking a Council of State ruling on the matter, reasoning that the EC was not entitled to do so since conflicts of opinion have not arisen between the EC and the government. Besides, the interim charter indicated that the EC's duties are limited to holding a referendum, not deciding on how the votes are counted."

So the NCPO doesn't want to follow organic law and writes its own law on how votes are counted. In the referendum for the 2007 Constitution, the junta used only the votes actually casted to be counted. As a result the constitution passed with 56-59% of the total votes cast but only about 33% of the total eligible vote. It would seem counter-productive for the NCPO to want 80% of the eligible voters show up to cast their votes.

The CDC spokesman pointed out that the main problem with the draft charter is not about its complicated content or the difficulty of explanation but about certain elements trying to distort the draft.

There is another possibility that he failed to mention.

... that it is an undemocratic constitution that provides for a fake democracy and codifies the power of the elites and the military to rule the country.

oops, ... poor military lackey....

"the organic law about referendum which was promulgated in 2009 could not be applied because it did not cover referendum about draft constitution."

Half true but misleading.

Clarification from The Nation (Sept. 4, 2015):

"Article 37 of the interim charter of 2014 regarding vote counting in a referendum takes into account only those who exercise their right to vote, and not all eligible voters, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said yesterday.

If the country has 40 million eligible voters but only, for example, 10 million cast their ballots in the referendum, the majority of the 10 million, not 40 million, will decide the fate of the charter draft, he said.

He said the National Council for Peace and Order did not want to use the Public Referendum Act of 2009 because that law indicated that a referendum would only be legitimate if more then half of the eligible voters exercised their right to vote.

The NCPO did not want the referendum on the charter draft to be declared null and void (if there is a referendum), so it had the interim charter amended to overrule the vote-counting stipulation in the Public Referendum Act.

EC has no authority to dictate number of votes needed.

Election Commission member Prawit Rattanapian said the EC had no authority to decide on the number of votes needed for the charter to be passed in the referendum.

He said the decision on whether to count only the votes of citizens who exercise their rights or all eligible voters rested solely with the prime minister.

A source said the EC had consulted its legal adviser, Surapol Nitikraipoj, on the issue. Surapol told the EC that the charter drafters wanted only the votes of people who actually cast ballots to be counted.

During the consultation, the EC ruled out seeking a Council of State ruling on the matter, reasoning that the EC was not entitled to do so since conflicts of opinion have not arisen between the EC and the government. Besides, the interim charter indicated that the EC's duties are limited to holding a referendum, not deciding on how the votes are counted."

So the NCPO doesn't want to follow organic law and writes its own law on how votes are counted. In the referendum for the 2007 Constitution, the junta used only the votes actually casted to be counted. As a result the constitution passed with 56-59% of the total votes cast but only about 33% of the total eligible vote. It would seem counter-productive for the NCPO to want 80% of the eligible voters show up to cast their votes.

right, so the plan to pass this turd is:

- run a massive promotion which ends with having military people at the polling stations....

- make campaigning against it or criticizing it illegal

- crush any "unofficial" debate about it, ...

- allow it to pass on a simple majority no matter how few people vote

maybe the self-appointed "PM" doesn't need a plan B after all.

Khun Amorn is in the highest state of denial. Even their own supporters like now dissolved NRC have negative views of the charter. Previous '07 junta charter drafters posted grave concerns. Academics, NGOs and the major political parties have attacked the draft charter. The charter is facing an uphill task and will cost the tax payers unless he take off his blindfold and have the CDC make some adjustments before the referendum.

it's been called DOA, but it's still a win-win for the junta...

This deluded spokesman believes the junta sponsored polls.

If there is a big turnout it will be because the referendum will be seen as an opportunity to pass judgement on the junta's performance, and the constitution will be rejected overwhelmingly.

80% is nothing. The Junta continues to under-perform.

With the entire army mobilized to "explain" the Charter, the high 90's should be possible.