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Thai deputy PM says public comments on draft charter impermissible

Xinhua, April 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said on Monday that all comments in support or against the draft constitution contravened the new Referendum Act in effect now through media were impermissible.

Prawit was pointing at Suthep Thaugsuban, the former street protest leader who held a press conference to express full support for the draft constitution followed by another media conference by United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) Chairman Jatuporn Promphan on the same day, during which he urged people to watch out frauds in the referendum and called for the United Nations and European Union to observe the referendum.

Prawit stressed that all sides should stop making comments and let people decide for themselves whether to support the draft charter or not. Otherwise there would be unending questions over the legality issue.

Serving as the chief of the People's Democratic Reform Foundation, Suthep was full of praise for the draft charter, which is scheduled to be put to a public referendum on Aug. 7, addressing that the draft has been written to best respond to Thailand's special situation and the preface of the draft also affirmed that Thailand was moving ahead to the democratic system with the king being the head of the state.

Suthep had led rallies to overthrow the government of Yingluck since 2013 until the May 2014 coup took place, after which he declared retirement from politics, and entered Buddhist monastichood from July 2014 to July 2015. Backing the controversial junta sponsored draft charter marks his first return to bold political gesture since then.

Meanwhile, UDD leader Jatuporn rejected the draft. Pointing out at what he described as the current climate of fear in which people are scared to express their political opinions, Jatuporn said that it is impractical for the referendum to be staged in a just and fair manner unless there are teams for the UN, the EU or an international organization to watch out the referendum.

As a result, the suggestion of Jatuporn was widely blamed and brushed aside by the ongoing government, saying that no country would like to observe a referendum. Endit