The Thai military regime of Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha has set Aug. 7 for a referendum of the controversial constitution drafted by army-appointed committees. The referendum is a part of the junta's self-proclaimed road map to restore democracy to the country. Undeniably, the junta is striving to exploit the referendum to legitimize the constitution. And this constitution will serve as a vital mechanism to guarantee some political power for the military in the post-election period.
But the current draft of the constitution is troublesome and can be perceived as an obstacle to democracy in Thailand. This is simply because it serves to shrink the democratic space, rather than widen it.
There are several provisions designed to preserve some political power in the hands of the traditional elites in the continuing process of influencing the Thai political domain. This includes empowerment of the Senate, whose members would all be appointed. A portion of the seats in the Senate would be reserved for the military, a replica of the design of Myanmar's parliament, with 25 percent of the seats to be occupied by army personnel.