Official result of Thailand's Charter referendum expected within 3 days

BANGKOK, August 2 (TNA) - An election commissioner says that the official result of the country's referendum on the new Constitution draft, set on August 7, should be officially known within three days. The election commissioner tasked with electoral probes, Boonsong Noysophon, told journalists on Tuesday that he believed the official result of Sunday's Charter referendum should be known within three day, or by August 10. The election commissioner pointed out Thailand's referendum law does not allow any opposition petition against a referendum to be easily filed in the wake of the referendum day, making it is hard for any claim for a renewed ballot counting that would defer the official result of a referendum. The election commissioner stressed that the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) is now 100 per cent ready for Sunday's public referendum nationwide. The election commissioner warned all parties to be more careful in the lead-up to Sunday's referendum by not violating the referendum law, under which any selfie at any polling booth and photo-taking of a ballot are also strictly prohibited. Besides, reports or publications of referendum polls are not allowed, except exit polls on the day but the results must be reported or published only after the referendum day. The election commissioner also called on employers to facilitate Sunday's referendum by allowing their employees to cast their ballots without being marked as absent hours, cautioning that employers violating the referendum law would face a criminal charge. The election commissioner called on electoral staff on duty as well to be neutral or face a criminal case. (TNA)