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04-07-2017, 02:10 PM
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Thai king signs junta?s new constitution
BANGKOK: Thailand’s king signed a new military-backed constitution on Thursday that strengthens the army’s hand in government and puts the country on the path to polls after three years of junta rule.
The military says the charter -- Thailand’s twentieth since 1932 -- will curb unrest in the politically-split kingdom and keep out corrupt lawmakers. But opponents say the new document means any polls, whose date keeps slipping, will only offer Thais a form of neutered democracy with a fully appointed senate and tough controls on elected politicians. King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who ascended the throne following the October death of his revered father, signed the document in a televised ceremony in Bangkok on Thursday after**on. In a solemn and ritual-laden affair, the 64-year-old king inked three copies of the charter, which were then stamped by white-clad officials and placed on gilded pillars before the monarch. An official then read the charter’s preamble before an audience of political grandees and ambassadors gathered in the ornate throne hall. "This constitution aims to fully rid the country of corruption, abuses of power and prevent corrupt politicians from taking ******," the official read, with junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha by his side. The charter received popular approval in a referendum last August, although the poll’s legitimacy was tainted by a junta ban on campaigning. It has also been edited since then after the new king surprised many by ordering rewrites to articles that deal with royal powers, including the process for appointing a regent. The generals -- who have severely curbed free speech since the coup -- will continue to run the country until new polls, which are unlikely to fall before late 2018. In a national address on Thursday evening, junta leader Prayut said the government would begin drafting laws and other preparations for Thailand’s return to democracy but cautioned it was still too early to "clearly specify an election date". Democracy has only flowered for brief spells in Thailand, where the army has launched more than a dozen coups since absolute monarchy was abolished in 1932. أكثر... 
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العرض الشجري