We’re 100 per cent ready for the referendum, EC member says

He said the EC had distributed all ballot papers and boxes to agencies responsible to give to polling stations but he worried that heavy rain in some areas may cause disruption in the ballot casting process at some voting centres.

Ratchathewi district chief Chatri Wattankechorn said his officials had prepared water pumps and emergency power supply in case of heavy rain and flooding.

Prawit warned voters to make sure they write a cross within the voting block and not to write any message on the paper – otherwise ballot papers would be ruled void.

The ballot paper has two parts – one asking if voters if they accept or reject the charter draft (in light blue) and another for the additional question (in light orange).

National Council for Peace and Order spokesman Colonel Piyapong Klinpan said there was nothing to be concerned about in terms of security nationwide even though there had been some unrest in the far South.

“We are in control and are trying to apprehend perpetrators and the insurgents responsible. The NCPO will stick with the democracy roadmap,” he said.

Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said more than 100,000 police would be deployed to keep security at polling stations and oversee transportation of ballot boxes to voting stations.

He expressed concern about the situation in the North after letters distorting the content of the draft were found. However police have apprehended the suspects allegedly responsible.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s deputy permanent secretary Chakkapan Piewngam said he inspected preparations at all districts – checking ballot papers and ballot boxes so they can be distributed to polling stations early today.

Chakkapan said ballot boxes used in 50 districts of Bangkok are metal boxes that are strong and durable. All voting officials dispatched to 6,745 polling stations received training on how to implement work correctly, he said.

Government spokesman Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the consumer confidence index had risen for the first time in seven months from 71.6 to 72.5 and he believed consumers were confident about the Thai economy after having found jobs and with prices for agricultural produce rising.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International questioned the reliability of the referendum, saying that it will be held under a “chilling climate” when people cannot speak their minds freely. In its press statement issued on Friday, Amnesty said the referendum was taking place “against a backdrop of pervasive human rights violations that have created a chilling climate”.

It said Thai officials had arbitrarily arrested scores of people, had cancelled or disrupted peaceful assemblies and took a television station off the air in recent weeks. These incidents were just the most recent undue restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.

“Amnesty International calls on the Thai government to respect and protect human rights by creating an environment in which individuals and groups can freely and confidently share ideas and express their opinions on the upcoming referendum and any subsequent stage in its plans for political transition,” the statement said.