Constitution Vote

[Naam Jai (?2008)]

19th August.
Will those who have to travel to find work return to vote in their own village?
Those in the villages understand the booklet provided (without pictures)
Will there be demonstrations at the result?
Does anyone care?
It will be interesting to see the percentage turnout.

BUT ....Maybe best to stay at or near home on the 19th

[Homer (?2011)]

I have the feeling that the majority will vote No here in Issan.
I don't know what people in the rest of the country will vote.
Anyway i hope for Yeas so the country can have a chance to move forward,but i fear there is nothing new in near future.....

[Naam Jai (?2008)]

Homer
I agree with you.
But could Falangs monitor handouts of 300bht or more to vote NO and report.
My GF and family are voting YES so there will be 3 Issan votes in Issan.
Influence? Wot me? No! Just careful explanation of the booklet and chance for change as you say.

[Naam Jai (?2008)]

PS

Monday the 20th is now a holiday to allow those who returned home to vote the chance to get back to work.
Another good reason to stay off the roads.

[Naam Jai (?2008)]

We are hoping for a YES vote aren't we?

The main points again:-

Parliamentary system stays the same
The winning party with the most seats forming a government.
Number of seats in the House of Representatives decreases from 500 to 480
The Senate reduces from 200 to 150 seats with one elected from each of Thailands 76 provinces and the other 74 appointed by judges and independent government bodies.

This is the 18th Constitution in 75 years

The New Charter requires just 20% of the lower house members to seek a no confidence debate against the prime minister instead of 40% in the 1997 Constitution thus eliminating one man to amass excessive personal power and erode democratic institutions

If the people do not approve the draft constitution the cabinet have 30 days to choose and revise an earlier constitution,according to the interim constitution.

You should encourage your nearest and dearest to vote at least and I hope this brief resume will help to show that Thailand is serious about stamping out corruptive practices from the top.

[KoratCat]

Democrats:Corruption rife in northeast

(BangkokPost.com) – Deputy leader of the Democrat party Vitoon Namabutr has disclosed that there is an active campaign in the northeastern region to overturn the draft charter.

He claims to have received information which points to members of the now defunct Thai Rak Thai party bribing voters into either not voting or voting against the draft constitution on August 19.

“We have received information that compact discs and shirts are being handed as gifts to influence their votes,” Vitoon said.

“Voters are also being paid 200 baht not to vote and 300 baht to vote against the draft charter.”

Bangkok Post Aug. 12, 2007

What do they mean by saying "Corruption rife in northeast"?

Plainly "We don't have funds right now to pay them more for voting "yes".

[KoratCat]

Last-ditch bid to reject draft in Isaan

EC reports vote-buying and misinformation

Published on August 19, 2007


The Election Com-mission yesterday reported widespread last-ditch attempts to defeat the draft charter, particularly in lower-North-eastern provinces.

"Efforts to rig the national referendum's outcome have been uncovered mostly in Isaan, including in Buri Ram province, where the number of complaints is very high," EC chairman Apichart Sukhagganond said.

He said the EC would strictly enforce disciplinary measures against government officials who failed to remain neutral. He also called on police to take stern action against persons attempting to influence votes.

He was confident the counting of votes would go smoothly and that the unofficial results from 88,000 polling stations nationwide would be available before 9pm today.

The official outcome should be known before 2pm tomorrow.

In light of tightened security, the referendum vote in the South is not expected to be marred by violence, he said. The deployment of soldiers and police to keep peace had increased three fold and every polling station had a contingency plan to complete the voting regardless of any insurgent attacks.

Almost 16,000 soldiers would guard some 2,500 polling stations in the four southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla.

EC secretary general Suthiphon Thaveechaigarn said that two days before the referendum, the EC had received about 17 complaints about activities by those favouring rejection of the charter.

"Charter opponents have relied on misinformation, vote-buying, promised favours and mailing leaflets to persuade voters," he said.

The anti-charter message of most serious concern was the misinformation that the junta would revive the suspended 1997 Constitution to bring about a general election should the charter be rejected, he said.

"Authorities are closely monitoring anti-charter activities in the North and Northeast, including money trails," he said.

The EC had completed all preparations for the vote and expected a turnout of more than 60 per cent, he said.

Some two million officials are involved in running the referendum for 45.6 million eligible voters.

Kanchanaburi's Muang (city) district chief Pichai Thitisak said he had seized more than 5,000 anti-charter leaflets mailed to voters.

Messages in the leaflets included "Advance the Election Day forward by defeating the charter", "Dangerous charter provisions allowing house search without a warrant" and "Dangerous charter provisions cancelling Bt30 gold-card healthcare".

Villagers in Sa Kaew, Buri Ram and Nakhon Phanom reported receiving 500 anti-charter flyers.

They also notified authorities about rumours that Buddhist monks would be evicted from their temples if the charter passed in the referendum.

In Kalasin, residents said they were offered Bt200 each if they cast votes against the charter.

The Second Army Region has kept close tabs on anti-charter campaigners in Buri Ram, Surin and Udon Thani with the aim of gathering evidence for prosecution.

EC member Sodsri Satayatham yesterday inspected polling stations in Bangkok to ensure readiness for today's vote.

Sodsri said voters were free to dress in any colour, including red, the colour representing the anti-charter movement.

Interior Ministry permanent secretary Pongpayom Wasaputi said provincial governors and local authorities expected more than 70 per cent of voters in rural areas to cast ballots.

The Metropolitan Police Bureau has mobilised more than 13,000 policemen to keep peace in Bangkok. Anti-riot forces were ordered to stand by for any attempts to disrupt the voting.

The Council for National Security spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnoed urged voters to cast ballots in order to advance the country.

"The CNS just wants to see the people decide their own future through a referendum - your vote is not about the CNS or former prime minister Thaksin but about the direction of the country," he said.

First Army Region commander Lt-General Prayuth Chan-ocha said soldiers would assist police to maintain security throughout the capital.

The Nation Aug. 19, 2007

[KoratCat]

Thais approve new army-drafted charter
(Updates with unofficial results)
By Nopporn Wong-Anan

BANGKOK, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Thailand's voters approved a new army-drafted constitution on Sunday, paving the way to elections in December, but a large number of "No" votes suggested ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra remains a political force.
A tally, with 95 percent of the votes counted in Thailand's first referendum, showed 58.24 percent accepting the charter, designed to prevent a repeat of Thaksin's powerful single-party style of government.
However, 41.76 percent rejected it, sending a signal to the generals who removed the telecoms billionaire in a coup last September that they will struggle to control the make-up of the next administration.
The election commission Web site, http://www.ect.go.th/index.html, said turnout was 56.63 percent of a 45 million electorate.
Having pushed for a "Yes" vote, the army-appointed post-coup government had been hoping for at least a 60 percent turn-out for what will be Thailand's 18th constitution in 75 years of on-off democracy.
After early exit polls indicated overall approval of the charter -- a result that was never really in question -- Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said elections would "definitely be held at the end of the year".
Dec. 16 or Dec. 23 are the most likely election dates.
Thaksin, 58, has been in exile in Britain since the coup and spent the afternoon watching his newly acquired soccer club, Manchester City, beat Manchester United 1-0 in a match that will have generated as much interest in Thailand as the referendum.

END TO TURMOIL

Many Thais, especially those in Bangkok, appeared motivated to vote by a desire to see an end to the turmoil since Thaksin's family sold control of the telecoms empire he founded to Singapore for a tax-free $1.9 billion in January 2006.
Analysts said investors would also be relieved there had been no major upset, although the smaller-than-expected margin of victory for the "Yes" camp suggested the election would be closely fought, messy -- and dirty.
"This is telling the junta that they are going to have trouble at an election and that could mean all kinds of attempts to influence the result -- and that's worrying," Bangkok-based political analyst Chris Baker said.
Even though Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party has been disbanded and 111 members barred from politics, its leaders hope the mass rural support that twice swept it to power will rally to a new party under a new flag.
Analysts say the charter is designed to restore rule by the elites challenged by Thaksin, son of an ethnic Chinese silk merchant, and rekindle the "managed democracy" of the 1980s under ex-army chief Prem Tinsulanonda -- now the King's top adviser and seen by the Thaksin camp as the coup mastermind.
"The most important thing now is for Thais to be reconciled," Prem said after voting. "I hope the referendum will end misunderstanding among Thais, leading them to a clean and fair election and narrowing their different opinions."
Human rights groups have criticised the poll as a sham, given that nearly half of Thailand's 76 provinces remain under martial law and that a "No" vote would have allowed the army to impose any one of the previous 17 constitutions.
A full official result is expected on Monday.

The Guardian Aug. 19, 2007

Interesting that this made the breaking news in the football section only.
Maybe Britain is worried that Thaksin cannot take care of their bankrupt football teams anymore in case he returns to politics in Thailand.

[KoratCat]

Many vote 'no' in the North and Northeast

Sonthi says outcome is a lesson for govt

POST REPORTERS

The North and Northeast regions, the political heartland of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai party, saw a significantly high number of no votes in yesterday's referendum on the draft constitution. Somkiart Pongpaiboon of Rajabhat Nakhon Ratchasima University said the high number of no votes cast in the Northeast would increase the value of former politicians in the areas loyal to Thai Rak Thai.

They achieved their goal of encouraging voters to reject the draft, despite the heavy use of state mechanisms and the deployment of soldiers to prevent any attempts to sink it.

Council for National Security (CNS) chief Sonthi Boonyaratkalin said the outcome of the referendum in the Northeast is a lesson for the government to study.

The atmosphere at polling stations in many northeastern provinces was lively, with voters forming long queues to cast their ballots in the country's first-ever referendum.

In Khon Kaen, many voters turned up at polling stations yesterday morning. Some stations saw long queues of voters.

On the eve of the referendum day, police set up road checkpoints in many areas in Muang district to prevent possible handouts of cash to voters to encourage them to vote no.

Khon Kaen governor Panchai Bovornrattanaparon said he has ordered an investigation into the distribution of leaflets and copies of a letter urging people to vote against the draft.

Thaikorn Polsuwan, a political activist, said most northeastern voters used emotion rather than rationality when casting their ballots. He attributed the low voter turnout in many provinces to a lack of ''incentives'' for voters.

In Surin, T-shirts with the words ''We Love Thaksin and Say No to Dictators'' and leaflets attacking the charter were distributed to local people.

Chumphon Ruangsiri, village head of Saeng Tawan village in Surin's Muang district, said more than 50% of his villagers did not know what the constitution and its importance was. Before going to a polling station, he said he would vote for the draft.

Pol Maj-Gen Amnuay Mahapol, deputy chief of Police Region 3, said there were attempts to shoot down the charter in several northeastern provinces.

The Buri Ram election panel yesterday filed a complaint with police against Thawatchai Kamolmuneechot, a provincial council member, and his aides for allegedly offering cash to voters, said a source.

In Mukdahan province, the atmosphere at many polling stations was low-key, not lively as they often are during elections for MPs and senators. The results showed that no votes outnumbered votes in favour of the charter.

Those voting against the draft charter did so for various reasons.

Some said that accepting the draft would lead to Buddhism being replaced by Islam.

In Chiang Mai, leaflets urging people to vote against the draft were distributed to people buying goods at a market in San Kamphaeng district.

In Phayao, a low voter turnout was reported in Chiang Kham district. In some polling stations, only one voter showed up yesterday morning.

In several highland communities in Mae Hong Son, many tribal voters enthusiastically went to polling stations in the rain.

One tribal voter identified as Lu Wongkotmas-ampai, 67, collapsed after standing in a long queue.

In Chiang Rai, Nudaeng Talaekhae, 103, a senior tribal voter in Muang district, yesterday led his nine children to cast their ballots.

In Tak, chaos briefly erupted before a polling station in Mae Sot district opened as some ballot boxes had disappeared. Officials had to use paper boxes instead

Bangkok Post Aug. 20, 2007

[KoratCat]

Five arrested for tearing ballots

POST REPORTERS

Many reasons were given for voters tearing up their referendum ballots yesterday _ among them drunkenness, deafness, simple misunderstanding, and a mental disorder. Five people were arrested for the offence, in Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, Roi Et, Surin and Buri Ram. Only one claimed he did it to make a political statement.

Tearing up a ballot is deemed a breach of the Referendum Act, with penalties for those convicted of up to one year in jail, plus a fine of up to 20,000 baht.

Somchai Fuangtakian, 40, said he had been drinking when he arrived at a polling station in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district. But he stood by his action which he said was intended to protest against the coup and reject the draft charter.

Police said Mr Somchai appeared to be under the influence of alcohol during interrogation.

In Roi Et, polling staff detained Tawee Wanla, 61, after he marked a ballot sheet, tore it up, dropped the marked part into a ballot box and kept the rest.

His cousin told police that Mr Tawee, former principal of Ban Pa Duan school, was left mentally disturbed after a car accident 10 years ago.

In Buri Ram's Lam Plai Mat district, police dismissed Prawat Singsaena's claim that he thought he had to tear the ballot along a dotted line after marking it.

Police said the act was intentional because the former Ban Nong Ranam school principal chose the 'no' box, and the district is rife with anti-charter movements.

In Ang Thong, 78-year-old Charn Kammuang gave as 'misunderstanding' his reason for ripping up a ballot in Wiset Chai Chan district.

Another 78-year-old was freed after police found she was deaf. Sing Watwipa could not sign her name and had to stamp her fingerprint.

Tearing ballot papers was common in the previous Aug 2 election as a symbolic rejection of the poll and then caretaker premier Thaksin Shinawatra. However, all the cases against ballot rippers were thrown out after the Constitution Court nullified the poll.

A poll station chief died in Song district of Phrae yesterday.

Pairoj Mahawong, 66, was taken to hospital after he fainted at the station. He died shortly later.

In Buri Ram's Muang district, three women said their husbands _ village heads and a tambon inspector _ had been abducted.

They claimed two men in military uniform arrived in an army jeep in the morning and took away their husbands for questioning, claiming their husbands had paid people to vote down the charter.

Police are looking into the disappearance of village heads Settabut Tawanha and Pipat Raksa, and tambon inspector Thanakij Intawong

Bangkok Post Aug. 20, 2007