Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, responding to public discontent with his government, said yesterday there would be a national referendum in April on whether to amend the Constitution.
Thaksin made the announcement on his weekly radio address, speaking ahead of a pro-democracy rally scheduled for later in the day in the capital that was expected to draw tens of thousands of people. Thaksin's critics accuse him of corruption and abuse of power.
Thailand enacted a reformist Constitution in 1997 meant to promote democracy, but in practice some of its statutes have consolidated power in the hand of the ruling party.
PHOTO: AP
Thaksin said the referendum would be held simultaneously with the next election for the country's senate, on April 19.
"If the people said they want the constitution to be amended, we will do so as the people hold sovereignty over the country," Thaksin said in his radio address.
Critics of the Constitution point to several flaws which they say run contrary to democratic principles.
A section which states that an election candidate must be a member of a political party for at least 90 days has had the effect of binding members of parliament to their party under threat of being unable to run again if a new election is called.
The provisions regarding independent state bodies, such as an anti-corruption commission, have failed to ensure the integrity of such institutions, which have proven susceptible to pressure from the government.
Thaksin has come under fire since last year after a one-time crony, publisher Sondhi Limthongkul, started staging rallies accusing him of abusing his office and calling for his resignation.
The anti-Thaksin campaign had appeared to be flagging until last month, when the prime minister's family sold its controlling interest in Shin Corporation -- a telecommunications conglomerate -- to Temasek Holdings, Sin-gapore's state-owned investment company, for 73.3 billion baht (US$1.9 billion).
The deal was heavily criticized, mainly because it was structured to allow the sellers -- Thaksin's children -- to avoid paying any taxes and placed what some described as important national assets in the hands of a foreign company.
Sondhi last weekend led a protest of up to 60,000 people demanding that Thaksin step down in what appeared to be Thailand's biggest political protest since 1992, when demonstrations toppled a military-backed government.
Thaksin has said repeatedly and firmly that he will not resign, because of the popular mandate he won in last year's general election that gave his Thai Rak Thai Party an overwhelming majority in the House of Representatives.
Several pro-democracy groups, including student organizations, had said they would join hands with Sondhi at yesterday's rally, which was expected to take place at the same venue as last week's event, the Royal Plaza near Parliament.
Government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee said earlier that organizers would be allowed to use the Royal Plaza for their protest if they received permission from police and city authorities, but police have not been clear on whether they will allow the demonstration, citing traffic problems it may cause.
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