Thailand has voted, as it almost always does, quietly and peacefully and as thoughtfully as events allowed. The results of yesterday's referendum show a clear decision to accept the military regime's proposal for the nation's latest constitution.
The vote means the regime of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha now must earn the trust that the polls granted. He faces challenges as he immediately starts the next stage of his roadmap to a general election.
The immediate need is for all Thais to accept the result. If the country is to overcome the lost decade, there can't be undue battling over yesterday's vote. There were plenty of problems and complaints in the lead-up to the vote. They should not be repeated. But the result should not be regarded as a mandate for extended military rule. If anything, it was a call to speed up the transition.
Prime Minister Prayut has said from the beginning he has a roadmap. Now, more than ever, the onus is on him to provide the timeline. In the months before yesterday's polls, supporters talked vaguely about having the next election in late 2017. That would be in roughly 16 months. But now that he knows exactly what constitution the nation has, and exactly what must be done, Gen Prayut should set a realistic election date, and preferably much sooner than December of next year.
If the country is to advance, Gen Prayut and his administration have to change their methods. The massive effort to ban free speech while micro-managing debate should not continue. The prime minister apparently distrusted his own people so much he halted their civil rights, which creates more problems, rather than solving them.
Instead of stomping on free speech, Gen Prayut and his regime should switch strategy. The same Thais who gave him authority to ratify his constitution only wish now to have a voice in the progress of the country to elections and beyond. The prime minister trusted citizens to conduct a free, fair, and calm plebiscite -- and they did. Those citizens now trust Gen Prayut to do the right thing and include them in the process to restore Thailand on the road to democracy.
This will not be a smooth road. Obstacles and objections lie ahead. But if the military regime continues to bottle up and actively oppose those peaceful and loyal Thais trying to participate in the political process, it will be far bumpier than necessary. With their election victory in hand, Gen Prayut, his government and the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) must take two steps to show and prove they are leading the entire nation.
The first step is to ease the draconian control on freedom of expression. A real leader will not only hear but listen to opposing views. All Thais are entitled to a voice in coming developments. By closing avenues of free speech, the regime will create a self-fulfilling prophecy where frustration and tension lead to pressure.
The other necessary step is to solicit and consider all views on just how to conduct free elections, and to seat a responsible and accountable parliament.
The country now has a constitution providing the outlines of this process. But much remains to be done. Gen Prayut estimates it will take more than a year. That is plenty of time to receive petitions and delegations to help in making the important decisions.
Yesterday's vote was not a mandate for one-man rule. It was a call from across the nation to bring the nation back to freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and the right to be heard by the government.