Following the referendum on the draft Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand B.E. … held on 7 August 2016, the Election Commission of Thailand announced the unofficial results of a total of 27,623,126 (54.61 %) voter turnout, 15,562,027 voters (61.40 %) approved the draft Constitution while 9,784,680 (38.60 %) disapproved the draft, resulting in the draft Constitution being approved, as of 7 August 2016 19.33 hrs. with 94% of the ballots counted.

With regard to the additional/supplementary question asking whether the voters agree to allow the two chambers of the parliament to jointly select the person to be appointed Prime Minister for the duration of 5 years from the first sitting of the Parliament to maintain the continuity of the reform process in accordance with the National Strategic Plan, a total of 13,969,594 (58.11 %) approved the proposal while 10,070,599 (41.89 %) disapproved, leading to the additional/supplementary question being approved.

To hold a referendum is not a requirement but reflects a genuine goodwill of the Government as part of its people-centered policy to ensure transparency and public participation  in the drafting process. Therefore, the Government has included the referendum process as part   of the Roadmap. The Constitution drafting and referendum processes are inclusive of all sectors as demonstrated through various seminars, televised debates and public discussions at the provincial levels. This has led to a high level of public understanding of the draft Constitution.

Public participation in expressing opinions on the draft Constitution and the referendum are among the crucial processes in laying the foundation for a democratic society as the will of the people are important elements in moving the nation forward. The Government reaffirms its determination to bring about people-centered national reforms to see through the Roadmap and pave the way towards a stable and sustainable democracy in accordance with the 20-year national strategic plan.

In the next phase, the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) will amend the Transitory Provisions of the draft Constitution in accordance with the result of the vote on additional/supplementary question within 30 days and submit the amended draft to the Constitutional Court. The Constitutional Court has 30 days to consider the draft and an additional 15 days shall be granted if further amendment is required. The draft will then be submitted to the Prime Minister who shall present it to the His Majesty the King within 30 days. Following the aforementioned process, the CDC will begin the drafting of relevant Organic Acts and will proceed with related processes leading to the general elections in 2017 according to the roadmap.