Eager for democracy, Thais weigh junta's constitution

Many Thais see the proposed charter as a step back for democracy.

from the August 17, 2007 edition

Page 2 of 2

Page 1 | 2

Nevertheless, one of the most controversial clauses permits seven members of a committee, composed mostly of judges, to appoint nearly half of the Senate. Previously, Upper House members were all directly elected. The new draft also absolves the generals of any wrongdoing, a clause that constitution opponents say opens the door for another coup down the road.

"The draft is very undemocratic and destroys the balance of power between elected politicians and the bureaucracy," says Kanin Boonsuwan, a constitutional-law expert who helped write Thailand's 1997 charter. "It treats elected politicians like criminals that need to be controlled."

Thaksin, who has remained in the headlines in exile with his purchase of top-flight English soccer club Manchester City, has urged his followers to vote against the constitution. The military has kept the pressure on the former prime minister, and earlier this week a Thai court issued arrest warrants for him and his wife for conflict of interest in a 2003 land purchase. Authorities have vowed to seek his extradition from England.

But even though Thaksin's former Thai Rak Thai party handily won the past three general elections, including the April 2006 vote that the courts eventually voided, it's unclear if the party's strong rural support will translate into a big "no" vote. Former party members have regrouped under a different name and are campaigning against the referendum, but the government has kept a tight leash on campaign activities.

Martial law remains in place in many rural areas in the poorer Northeast that formed Thaksin's base. Army chief and coup leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin has also ordered soldiers to help "educate" people about the constitution, and billboards urging citizens to head to the polls have linked a "yes" vote with love for Thailand's king, who is revered throughout the country and supposed to be nonpolitical.

No matter what happens, however, the new constitution does little to bridge the vast political divide between Bangkok's urban elite and poorer voters in the countryside, many of whom still support the ousted prime minister. Thaksin loyalists could perform strongly in a general election slated for later this year despite obstacles set up by the coup leaders. A victory for former Thai Rak Thai members could lead to further unrest in the future.

"I don't know much about the referendum or the differences between the old and new constitutions," says Inthira Pakawan from Ubon Ratchathani Province in northeastern Thailand, who is working in Bangkok as a waitress. "All I know is my people back home love Thaksin. If there is anything that would make Thaksin come back, I would vote for that."

1 | Page 2