Searching for referendum clues

Thai News Agency

A Ramkhamhaeng University poll shows the public at large remains vague, at best, regarding the purpose of a constitutional referendum and how it works.

The poll shows the public remains largely unaware despite months of preparation regarding the new Constitution and the forthcoming elections.

It concluded the Thai public throughout different regions of the country does not fully understand the meaning of - or the necessity for - a referendum on the draft charter, currently scheduled for August or September.

The survey was conducted on "Public Hearings, Referendum and the Understanding of People in Different Regions" with a random sample of 2,280 people in provincial areas aged 18 years or up with the secondary education level during June 23-27 to give the government useful information for organising the referendum on the constitution draft.

It showed that 51.3 per cent understood the true meaning of the public hearing while 48.7 per cent did not, or misunderstood.

People in the southern and eastern regions had greater understanding than those in the central, northern and northeastern regions. Men have better understanding than women.

However, the poll found only 38.2 per cent understood the true meaning of the referendum while 61.8 per cent misunderstood.

Of those who misunderstood, nearly three out of four -- 73.7 per cent -- are in the central region, 69.8 per cent in the Northeast, 66.2 per cent in the North, 52.5 per cent in the South, and 40 per cent in the East. Women misunderstood more than men.

In addition, 65.8 per cent of people surveyed did not understand how the public hearing and referendum process is related to the current political reforms.

Of this, three out of four -- 74.6 per cent -- are in the Northeast, while 73.7 per cent in the Central, 67.7 per cent in the North, 55.7 per cent in the South, and 55 per cent in the East.

The poll indicated overall that most people in different regions failed to understand the necessity and importance of the public hearing and referendum towards political reform.

So, according to the pollmakers, it is worrying that the majority of the public would be dictated by local influential people to vote in the referendum unless they read and understand the new constitution draft thoroughly.