EC: Public referendum on draft charter set on August 7

BANGKOK, 19 April 2016 (NNT) – The Election Commission has now scheduled a date for the public referendum on the draft charter to be held.

Deputy Secretary-General of the EC, Boonyakiat Rakchartchroen said on Monday that the EC has resolved to set August 7 as the date of the public referendum, as all details and conditions for the process have already been settled.

When asked about concerns over a campaign to boost voter turnout, Mr. Boonyakiat said that such an initiative now awaits the public referendum law to come into effect, before the EC can discuss such details.

The EC’s senior expert Tanith Sriprateth added that the EC had also resolved to publish one million copies of the draft Constitution, and four million copies of the principles and rationale involved in the public referendum question, along with an explanation of 10 key points of the charter and a summary of the draft.

He said that these copies will be distributed through provincial government offices across the country as well as the National Legislative Assembly, the Constitution Drafting Commission and all five democratic learning centers of the EC, from May 23 onwards.

He added that a budget of 96 million baht has been allocated for the publishing and the distribution of these copies.

-- NNT 2016-04-19

What a waste of money, half this country is not even able to read such a complex document. 10 key points of positive life impact and 10 reasonable points of negative life impact. plus a summary is all that is needed.

With full copies available on request at each district office.

Most of the distributed drafts will be put straight in the recycle bin. (Ironically lol ).

Will this actually change anything ?

who has the printing contract ? millions of copies,

x millions of pages, even the ink supplier will be doing

a JIG

who has the printing contract ? millions of copies,

x millions of pages, even the ink supplier will be doing

a JIG

Keep it in the family works best.

Why August 7? Are they hoping a national holiday a few days later is going to dampen the fallout or even distract people in the run up?

According to reports in the local press, the five Commissioners of the Election Commission are coming under fire, again, for excessive overseas travel.

Appropriate date?

1888 Aug 7, The revolving door, the brainchild of Philadelphia inventor Theophilus Van Kannel (1841-1919), was patented. In 1889 he founded the Van Kannel Revolving Door Company.

Another chapter of the revolving door of Thai politics;

Or this?

1935 Aug 7, In Danzig (Gdansk) 60% of voters agreed to Nazism (NSDAP).

According to reports in the local press, the five Commissioners of the Election Commission are coming under fire, again, for excessive overseas travel.

Then they ought to be applauded finding time amidst their busy travel schedule to sit down and decide on the referendum date. These are no doubt hard working commissioners and they have a big budget.