August 20, 2007	Monday	Sha’aban 6, 1428

BANGKOK, Aug 19: A healthy majority of Thai voters approved an army-drafted constitution on Sunday designed to prevent a repeat of the powerful single party government of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, an exit poll showed.

A survey of 20,200 voters nationwide by the Suan Dusit polling agency suggested 68 per cent of Thailand’s 45 million voters had approved a replacement for the 1997 “People’s Constitution” torn up in last September’s military coup.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, appointed after the military ousted twice-elected Thaksin, said passage of the draft with a turnout of “more than half of voters” meant elections would be held in December as planned.

“Elections will definitely be held at the end of the year,” Surayud said in a televised national address after polls closed in Thailand’s first ever referendum.

The army-backed government has already pencilled in Dec 16 or Dec 23 as the most likely election dates.—Reuters