With voters clearly backing the push for a new constitution in Sunday's referendum, a political expert is now calling for patience, saying the process will take at least two and a half years to complete.
On Sunday, Thais voted in a referendum held alongside the general election, in which they were asked, "Do you agree that there should be a new constitution?" According to unofficial results released yesterday, 19,940,447 people voted "Yes", while 10,531,647 opposed the push. Another 2,886,351 ballots were cast without a clear vote.
Stithorn Thananithichot, a lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University, said public approval won't immediately trigger the drafting process.
Mr Stithorn explained that the cabinet must first initiate the proceedings and create a legal pathway towards a new charter.
This, he said, includes the addition of Section 256/1 to the constitution.
The amendment bill must pass three readings in parliament and meet constitutional voting requirements, including Senate approval.
If endorsed, a second referendum will be held before a constitutional drafting committee can be established and the drafting process formally begins.
Once a draft is completed, it must be approved in a third and final referendum before promulgation.
Even under the most optimistic scenario, Mr Stithorn said, the entire process would take at least two and a half years.
He also noted that several political steps must be completed before the process can even begin, including the official certification of the referendum results, the formation of a House of Representatives, the election of the Speaker and deputy speakers, the selection of a prime minister, and the installation of a new cabinet.
