Bangkok (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has announced he would not allow t he United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship ( UDD ) to establish new centres monitoring fraud in the August 7 referendum on the new constitutional draft.
He said the government already has agencies like the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Election Commission to do the job and so the UDD will not be allowed to open new anti-fraud centres.
He said the government will take legal action if the UDD persists with its plan.
Concerning the UDD’s intention of sending letters to the United Nations and foreign embassies to send representatives to observe its centres monitoring fraud, Prawit said the referendum is Thailand’s internal affair and there is no need for international intervention.
On March 29, Thailand’s Constitution Draft Commission announced the new draft constitution, which is expected to be the solution to a decade-long political crisis.
According to the plan, the 105-page draft with 279 clauses will be put to public referendum on August 7.
Thailand’s Election Commission issued regulations, which took effect on May 2, on referendum, including prohibiting the distortion of the referendum’s contents, holding meetings intended for political disturbance, or carrying out campaigns influencing the referendum.
If the draft constitution is passed in the referendum, a general election will be held on July, 2017 as pledged by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha.-VNA