Thai PM:New general election is expected in late 2017

BANGKOK, August 11 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha insists on following his government's roadmap toward the country's new general election, expected to be held in late 2017. The prime minister stressed on the stance during his evening televised speech broadcast nationwide on August 10, when he also thanked voters and all other parties concerned for smooth referendum on Thailand's new Constitution draft last Sunday on behalf of his Cabinet and the army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). The prime minister called on all sides to accept the result of the August 7 referendum on the new Charter draft and leave their ideological differences behind, move forward together and let the country to drive forward, too. For next steps, set within the next three months, the prime minister stated that the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) will revise provisional clauses of the new Constitution draft in accordance with an addition question approved by the majority of voters before it will be forwarded to the Constitutional Court. In the wake of the Constitutional Court's final review, the prime minister said, the new Charter draft will be submitted to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej for a royal endorsement and the new Constitution will be then promulgated. After that, the prime minister noted, CDC will write 10 organic laws, the first four of which will be used for running the new general and should be completed by mid-2017, paving the way for the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) to organise the new general election within 150 days thereafter, or within late 2017, in line with the roadmap if everthing goes on smoothly. The prime minister, however, insisted on maintaining the Section 44 of the present Provisional Charter, which gives him sweeping powers to keep national peace and order. Prior to the prime minister's televised speech, EC announced the official result of last Sunday's referendum, in which 61.34 per cent of eligible voters approved the new Constitution draft with their turnout rate of 59.40 per cent. According to the election agency, it will look into some problems happening during last Sunday's referendum and take them as lessons to prevent repeated ones in the new general election. (TNA)