Disir
Platinum Member
- Sep 30, 2011
- 28,003
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Thailand's junta-appointed reform council on Sunday voted to reject a controversial new constitution, a result that will prolong military rule and push back an election to April 2017 at the earliest.
Political parties, nevertheless, cheered the decision by National Reform Council (NRC) to dismiss the draft charter, having seen it as an affront to democracy on various grounds, including a provision that potentially allowed generals to intervene in a "crisis".
If it had been passed it stood to become Thailand's 20th constitution in 83 years.
The whole process of writing a constitution must now start from scratch and the earliest an election could be held would be April 2017, delaying a return to the junta's long promised "true democracy".
The military staged a coup in May last year and has always denied it was clinging to power.
The charter was given a thumbs-down by 135 NRC members and approved by 105, short of the 124 needed to pass and go to a referendum in early January. The election had been slated for the second half of next year.
New Thai constitution shot down, spelling prolonged military rule
Nobody saw that coming. Nobody.
Political parties, nevertheless, cheered the decision by National Reform Council (NRC) to dismiss the draft charter, having seen it as an affront to democracy on various grounds, including a provision that potentially allowed generals to intervene in a "crisis".
If it had been passed it stood to become Thailand's 20th constitution in 83 years.
The whole process of writing a constitution must now start from scratch and the earliest an election could be held would be April 2017, delaying a return to the junta's long promised "true democracy".
The military staged a coup in May last year and has always denied it was clinging to power.
The charter was given a thumbs-down by 135 NRC members and approved by 105, short of the 124 needed to pass and go to a referendum in early January. The election had been slated for the second half of next year.
New Thai constitution shot down, spelling prolonged military rule
Nobody saw that coming. Nobody.
