FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Big referendum turnout likely, poll suggests

Big referendum turnout likely, poll suggests

MORE than 85 per cent of the people surveyed in a new Bangkok Poll plan to cast ballots in the August 7 referendum on the charter draft.

About 7 per cent said they would not cast the ballots and 7 per cent said they were not sure.
A total of 1,581 people took part in the survey titled “Counting down – 15 days before the August 7 referendum”.
Around 57 per cent said the debate on the charter draft would have a “minimal to least” impact on voters’ decisions, 28 per cent said the debate had “quite a great impact to the greatest impact” and 14 per cent were not sure.
About 66 per cent believed the two major parties’ decisions on the draft would have the least impact on voters’ decision, 17 per cent said the parties’ decisions would affect voters’ decisions a lot and 15 per cent were not sure.
About 44 per cent said they would approve the charter draft, 9.8 per cent said they would vote “no”, 12 per cent said they would abstain from voting and 33 per cent were not yet sure.
In a related development, Election Commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn said yesterday that Thai PBS had the right to pick people to participate in the debate on the charter draft.
He said that since the Constitution Drafting Commission had refused to take part in the debate, the station did not need to heed the CDC’s opinion on who were suitable candidates for the debate.
Democrat Party legal chief Wirat Kallayasiri urged the EC and the CDC to work together on the debate to avoid confusing the public.
“The two agencies have spoken differently about the selection of debaters on the charter draft. They have to get this debate done to make people understand the content before the referendum as much as possible,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, relatives of the May 1992 Heroes issued a statement in which they rejected the charter draft, arguing it would pave the way for a non-elected PM. 
The relatives said one of the causes of the people uprising that led to the May 1992 bloodshed were protests against a non-elected PM.
 
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