NLA considers legislation for public referendum

Itiporn Lakarnchua



BANGKOK, 18 March 2016 (NNT) – The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) has reviewed legislation to allow the public referendum on the draft charter to take place on August 7 this year as well as draft laws to punish the spread of false information to do with the new constitution.

The NLA has begun reviewing all 66 proposals from the Cabinet on the draft charter’s public referendum by diving them into 3 categories; namely, printing and circulation of the draft, voting regulations and voting control and punishments.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Kreau-ngam has stated that the proposals are in line with the interim constitution and that the government has asked the Constitution Drafting Committee to forward all pertinent information on the latest charter to the Election Commission within 15 days so that it may begin publicizing the document.

Initial plans are to have the referendum take place between 8AM and 4PM on August 7 and for the Election Commission to report unofficial returns as soon as 95 percent of voting is complete. The Cabinet has also sought greater punitive measures against those disseminating misleading information about the draft, proposing prison sentences up to 10 years and fines of 200,000 baht. It has also asked for public surveys on the constitution to be barred 7 days prior to the referendum.

-- NNT 2016-03-18

Well, this may be an election that gets a thumbs-down from international monitors. The threat of long prison sentences for disseminating "misleading" information is an obvious attempt to intimidate dissenters.