New elections will be staged by September next year if the draft constitution wins approval via referendum, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Wednesday.
The prime minister used his meeting at Government House with 12 envoys from the United Nations headquarters in New York to confirm his intention to restore democracy following the May 2014 military coup.
A new poll will be delayed due to the constitutional referendum, but will take place no later than September 2016, deputy government spokesman Weerachon Sukhontapatipak quoted Gen Prayut as saying. The government will not interfere in the election, he said, adding that Gen Prayut he had no intention to staying longer in power.
Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam expected the referendum to be put to voters around January after the final draft of the charter is endorsed by the National Reform Council on Aug 6. But he said on May 19 that general elections were possible in August 2016, a month earlier that the prime minister's estimate.
The new constitution has been criticised by the government, the National Council for Peace and Order, political parties, activists and academics. One controversial issue is a provision allowing an outsider to become prime minister if politics become deadlocked. All comments have been sent to the Constitution Drafting Committee, which will decide whether to amend the current draft.
CDC chairman Bowornsak Uwanno has expressed confidence that the new constitution will win public approval.
The diplomats were invited to Thailand as part of the Friends of Thailand campaign orchestrated by the Foreign Ministry to woo support for the government from the international community.