I read an article in the Nation (local English-language newspaper) about the process for the approval of the draft constitution which is currently being finished by an “independent” Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) appointed by the CNS (Council for National Security – aka the coup government, fondly called the junta).

The CDA is supposed to wrap up the draft constitution in the next month or so and then within 30 days a referendum is to be held on it.  Although the prime minister has recently been quoted as saying that maybe that won’t happen so soon after all.  When the referendum does happen, the public can either vote in favor of the draft constitution or against it.

• If the public approves the draft constitution, it is then sent for royal approval.
• If the public does not approve the draft constitution, the CNS is then allowed to select from any of the previous 16 constitutions Thailand has had since it became a nominally democratic monarchy in 1932, make whatever revisions it sees fit to make, and then send it for royal approval. 

Political forces opposed to the coup are urging people to vote against the draft constitution because a vote for it would be tacit approval of the coup leaders and the use of a coup.  But, of course, voting against the draft constitution would then allow the coup leaders to create whatever constitution they favor.

Sort of a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” scenario.  Interesting, huh?

Left: Anti-junta protests at Sanam Luang (near the Grand Palace) on Monday.  There were also protests in the Siam Square area.

For those of you who think the whole thing is utterly confusing (um, that would be everybody, right?) there is a nice article on the Nation’s website that gives a brief history of modern Thai politics.  There’s also a Wikipedia entry about the whole process for drafting the new constitution.