PM Prayut reiterates NCPO won't rescind the referendum

[webfact]

PM reiterates NCPO won't rescind the referendum

BANGKOK, 13 June 2016 (NNT) - The Prime Minister has given a strong assurance that the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) won't rescind the nationwide public referendum.

Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has assured all sides that the government and the NCPO have no intention of rescinding the referendum which is scheduled for August 7th.

The Prime Minister also declined to make any comment on the proceedings of the Constitutional Court, set to interpret Section 61 Clause 2 of the Public Referendum Act, but said that the court’s decision will not postpone the referendum.

The Constitutional Court has been asked to interpret whether or not the section is in violation of the provisional charter.

He also refuted a rumor that the holding of the referendum will require up to 10 billion baht, saying no more than 3 billion baht will be spent throughout the entire referendum process.


-- NNT 2016-06-13

[Reigntax]

Now that the PM has stated it wont be recinded there is every chance it will be based on his history.

[Thailand]

"Trust us we are Thai"

[BigBadGeordie]

There will be no coup.

We will follow the road map.

We will never cling to power.

We will...................

The referendum will go ahead.

[Eric Loh]

Not much faith in him making promises. Precedents check out.

[mtls2005]

Add another amulet. Check.

See soothsayer. Check.

[MZurf]

"The Prime Minister also declined to make any comment on the proceedings of the Constitutional Court, set to interpret Section 61 Clause 2 of the Public Referendum Act, but said that the court’s decision will not postpone the referendum."

So if the court finds the referendum act unconstitutional you will just ignore it? Well, having granted yourself the mother of all amnesties I guess you do what you want.

And to think of those few junta supporters who keep bleeting on about the attempted amnesty of the YL administration - priceless!

[mtls2005]

The Constitutional Court will likely pass the buck back to the NLA for a review/clarification of this broad-sweeping "law".

The NLA will just add more "examples" of acceptable/unacceptable behavior, like this tee-shirt is OK, that one is not. Red shirts are not allowed to speak, yellows/greens can say whatever they want.

Can't see the referendum moving unless it looks like it will fail by a huge margin.

[Hayduke]

He should '44' his wardrobe/costume consultants and have them all shot.

[maoro2013]

Isn't it about time the people were made aware of the contents of the new constitution, which I am assuming the referendum mentioned is all about. People need time to consider the contents of this change and be able to assess the pros and cons. Time is getting short for this.

[Winniedapu]

Now that the PM has stated it wont be recinded there is every chance it will be based on his history.

Maybe. However he seems to have been careful to say "The NCPO won't rescind it". He is not the NCPO when acting in the capacity of PM.

If he uses Article 44 to cancel it, or the Constitution Court nixes it, it will not have been the NCPO so Prayuth can claim he didn't lie (dissembled , yes, but that's a stock-in-trade for politicians the world over, he's just not very good at it).

I'm betting there won't be a referendum because Prayuth is coming to understand it will fail and he'll be in the poo with regard to all the other promises he's made about elections to the international community. He won't be able to control a new parliament without the new constitution in place, so I suspect he'll cancel the referendum close to the last minute and impose the draft constitution using Article 44. Alternatively, if he may rely on Somchai the Grimace to simply falsify the referendum results.

Nobody should be under any illusions how much this guy wants to be at the helm *(remark edited out*). It's a survival issue for him and the Thai privileged classes. I strongly suspect that behind the scenes, an agreement with Thaksin has been re-established. That, or even a rumour would be enough to properly put the wind up the feudal barons and their enforcers.

Nearly time for the next Act in this theatre, I'm just popping out for another bag of popcorn.

Winnie

[Winniedapu]

Isn't it about time the people were made aware of the contents of the new constitution, which I am assuming the referendum mentioned is all about. People need time to consider the contents of this change and be able to assess the pros and cons. Time is getting short for this.

Vagueness and uncertainty are always good in Thai politics. Lots of room for creative interpretation.

Winnie

[Srikcir]

the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) won't rescind the nationwide public referendum

However, it did rescind the referendum for the CDC draft 2015 constitution last year.

So let history tell the truth.

[bobmac10]

Isn't it about time the people were made aware of the contents of the new constitution, which I am assuming the referendum mentioned is all about. People need time to consider the contents of this change and be able to assess the pros and cons. Time is getting short for this.

Vagueness and uncertainty are always good in Thai politics. Lots of room for creative interpretation.

Winnie

Winnie, there must come a time when the self-delusion of the aristocracy falls apart.

I mean Thai society has become a lot more egalitarian (or should I say the classes are beginning to intermingle?) in the past 20 years.

This only applies to Bangkok of course.

But the point I'm making is that the privileged classes have had to come into contact socially with the rest due to the rise of the entrepreneurial and middle class who were not born into privilege. When one looks at the social scene in Bangkok we see the classes mingling on a scale unheard of before.

These people do not like the pigeonhole Sakdina has placed them in and I would venture a guess that they would resent being treated like second class citizens by the aristocracy. Their parents might think differently, but their influence is fading as young people become interested in politics and the future of their country.

I guess we can only surmise at what conversations are taking place right now as the new generation of young middle class Thais (who are quite influenced by western ideas) discuss the attempt by the Dear Leader and his supporters to reintroduce a more traditional (rigid) Thai social order.

My guess is that this is the last gasp of the older generation of the aristocracy and their children (spoilt brats as they undoubtedly are) are not prepared to spill blood in the fight to retain their privileges.

I may be wrong, but the continual eroding of that ideology by western ideals, social media and the friends and contacts they make in everyday life will lead to a breakdown of this corrupt system eventually.

We can only hope that when a call to arms is made to put down the insurrection, the younger generation will not back that call.

[Winniedapu]

Isn't it about time the people were made aware of the contents of the new constitution, which I am assuming the referendum mentioned is all about. People need time to consider the contents of this change and be able to assess the pros and cons. Time is getting short for this.

Vagueness and uncertainty are always good in Thai politics. Lots of room for creative interpretation.

Winnie

Winnie, there must come a time when the self-delusion of the aristocracy falls apart.

I mean Thai society has become a lot more egalitarian (or should I say the classes are beginning to intermingle?) in the past 20 years.

This only applies to Bangkok of course.

But the point I'm making is that the privileged classes have had to come into contact socially with the rest due to the rise of the entrepreneurial and middle class who were not born into privilege. When one looks at the social scene in Bangkok we see the classes mingling on a scale unheard of before.

These people do not like the pigeonhole Sakdina has placed them in and I would venture a guess that they would resent being treated like second class citizens by the aristocracy. Their parents might think differently, but their influence is fading as young people become interested in politics and the future of their country.

I guess we can only surmise at what conversations are taking place right now as the new generation of young middle class Thais (who are quite influenced by western ideas) discuss the attempt by the Dear Leader and his supporters to reintroduce a more traditional (rigid) Thai social order.

My guess is that this is the last gasp of the older generation of the aristocracy and their children (spoilt brats as they undoubtedly are) are not prepared to spill blood in the fight to retain their privileges.

I may be wrong, but the continual eroding of that ideology by western ideals, social media and the friends and contacts they make in everyday life will lead to a breakdown of this corrupt system eventually.

We can only hope that when a call to arms is made to put down the insurrection, the younger generation will not back that call.

Well and thoughtfully put, and I think I would agree if it were 20 years hence. For now, I think a civil war is not just inevitable but is essential. The aristocracy need to be shown beyond doubt that there is no merit in their traditional behaviour. The dog will not willingly give up the bone without biting the owner so it must be taught that biting the owner results in consequences it will not like or wish to experience again.

The same applies to coups d'etat. The army has learned there is advantage to them and the aristocracy if they keep doing it, so they do. They must be taught that the consequences of treason are so appalling for them that they have no appetite for them at all, or the behaviour which brings them. This must be the last coup, to make it so, those responsible in the army must face the traditional punishment for treason. Their aristocratic supporters and instigators must be exiled (together with their families) and their assets forfeit. All their assets, so they understand what it is to be poor and have nobody care that they are poor.

Doing those 2 things ruthlessly, followed by completely rebuilding the currently useless Thai education system, bringing the police force and armed forces under civilian government control (and renaming them accordingly as well) then retraining them to be professional forces, would make sure that democracy in Thailand is never again interrupted. And of course there are a few institutions which will need to suddenly cease to exist, many of the courts (the jurisprudence system in Thailand is like the education system - dysfunctional).

It would require international support, but hey, they chose the game - right?

W

[rubl]

I guess with all the nice comments here the only conclusion can be that posters would rather drop the referendum, accept the draft charter and let PM Prayut get on with it?

It would seem some are just busy with "stimmung machen", trying to create a mood of distrust, even hatred. The interesting part is that many remarks made can be reused when there's a 'democratic' government and all are 'free' to say what they want.

One picture says so much more than a thousands words