BANGKOK, Dec 11 – Sixty per cent of Thai people are aware of the government’s move to amend the constitution but 90 per cent admit to not having any knowledge about details of the proposed changes, according to a poll by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA).
The poll was conducted on Friday and Saturday to mark Thailand’s Constitution Day which falls on December 10. A total of 1,255 people of varied educational levels and occupations nationwide responded to the survey.
Among the 60 per cent of respondents who know about the constitution amendment, 4.75 per cent say the changes will include Sections 68, 117, 190, 237, 291 and 309, while 4.63 per cent say the amendment process will involve pardon and amnesty to politicians and the political/administrative system.
Asked who will benefit from the charter change, 30 per cent say they don’t know while 20 per cent say the move will be advantageous to politicians; 16 per cent say benefit will go to the people; and some two per cent say every sector will gain from it.
Regarding whether they agree with the amendment or not, four in 10 — 40 per cent — disagree for fear of conflicts and favour being given to certain groups of politicians rather than the people or the nation, while 34 per cent advocate the move, reasoning that some sections in the charter need change and they believe that the amendment will lead to reconciliation among politicians and all sectors in the country.
Those uncertain if the constitution should be amended are 26 per cent of the respondents.
