Interview: Power balance important to ensure stability in Thailand: expert

Thai people accepted the 2016 draft constitution and the additional question for stability, but to ensure stability in the future, the power balance between politicians, independent organizations and the military.

The results of the referendum reflect that the majority of the Thai people prefer stability, as they have been fed up with repeated political turmoil over the past 10 years, Kitti Prasirtsuk, director of Institute of East Asian Studies, Thammasat University, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

Some 61.35 percent and 58.07 percent of Thais voted "Yes" to the new charter and the additional question which will give 250 government-picked senators to elect for a new prime minister after the government promised a general election in 2017 with 500 elected members from the lower house, as Thailand's Election Commission revealed the official results of the Sunday referendum on Wednesday.

Kitti said a return of former constitutions which allowed a very high degree of democracy would plunge Thailand into turmoil again, because both the Red and the Yellow, cannot win approval from the majority and their conflicts would go on.

"Therefore, we go to this kind of semi-democracy in which the new constitution allows selected senators to have a big say in running the country, including the selection of a prime minister," said Kitti, adding that the semi-democracy is suitable for Thailand in this period.

But the new constitution alone cannot ensure a stable future, according to him, the power balance between politicians, independent organizations and the military are very important in the process.

The new constitution unprecedentedly bestowed a lot of power on the Constitutional Court and other constitutional independent organizations to curtail politicians.

Media reports said impeachment of politicians will become easier, and someone who is not a member of the elected lower house may become prime minister.

"If independent organizations get too much power and exercise too much power, or if selected senators exercise too much power, they will destabilize the balance, which may plunge Thailand into turmoil again," said Kitti.

Prayut Chan-o-cha, the prime minister, explained coming steps that will finally lead to a general election in later 2017.

According to him, the new constitution will be promulgated in three months, then 10 organic laws, especially four of them that are necessary for a general election will be drafted and promulgated in middle 2017, after which a general election will be held in five months, or sometime late 2017.

After the election, a new government will be founded, while Kitti predicted weaker coalition administrations found it difficult to exercise its polices, as the new proportional voting system will make it harder for larger parties to win an overall majority.

Despite the 250 selected senators, the members of the lower house is consist of 350 members form the election on a constituency basis and 150 members from the election on a party list basis.

"I think the new government is very likely to be formed by multiple parties, it can be formed by four, five or six parties...it will be harder for a coalition administration to exercise its policy," He said, adding that the new government allow need to work in accordance with the national strategy stipulated in the new constitution, which will be ensured by the supervision of selected senators.

Since the coalition government is weaker than government run by a major party, Kitti also predicted a general election in every two to three years following the first election under the new constitution.

As for the two major parties of Thailand, namely the Pheu Thai Party or the Democrat Party, he said the country may be in turmoil again when either of them attained power.

"Thais need a new alternative pole party to be the solution for Thai politics," Kitti said. Enditem