Initial results in Thailand's first-ever national referendum on
Sunday showed the new constitution draft has been approved, the
country's Election Commission announced shortly before
midnight.
Thai Prime Minister
Surayud Chulanont (L) casts his vote at a polling station in
Bangkok Aug. 19, 2007. Thailand held a referendum on its draft
constitution on Aug. 19.
The commission said unofficial results just 30 minutes before
midnight, eight hours after the polling officially closed at 4 PM
(0900GMT) Sunday, showed the majority of voters favor the new
charter.
The tally recorded some 25 million votes out of a total of some
46 million eligible voters throughout Thailand, who have been urged
by the government to exercise their rights in the unprecedented
referendum.
Among the counted votes cast in 88,000 polling stations across
76 provinces of Thailand, including Bangkok, 56.7 percent voted for
the charter draft, with 41.4 percent against; 1.9 percent of the
votes were deemed invalid.
Bangkok, the capital, counted 64.5 percent "Yes" votes and
34.4percent "No" votes.
The other 25 provinces in the central region recorded 66 percent
"Yes" votes and 32 percent "No" votes.
Over 86 percent of voters in the South voted for and 11 percent
against.
A Thai Muslim woman
casts her ballot at a polling station in Thailand's Yala province,
around 1084 km (672 miles) south of Bangkok, Aug. 19,
2007.
Although the Northern and Northeastern regions were both
considered the traditional voter base for ousted prime minister
Thaksin Shinawatra and his now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, initial
results displayed mixed outcomes in the two regions.
In the North, supporters of the military-backed charter draft --
52 percent, outnumbered opponents, 46 percent, while the Northeast
counted 62 percent opponents and 36 percent supporters.
The initial results turned out a less impressive margin than
earlier exit polls, which showed around 70 percent "Yes" votes.
Official results of the referendum are expected to be released
on Monday afternoon.
(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2007)
