Thai draft charter wins approval in referendum

BANGKOK - Thailand's Election Commission said on Wednesday a draft constitution was approved in the country's second-ever national referendum, as 61.35 percent and 58.07 percent of Thais voted "Yes" to the new charter and an additional question, respectively.

The official results showed the new constitution draft won 16,820,402 votes, or 61.35 percent of total voters, while 10,598,037 people or 38.65 percent rejected it in the country's second referendum on a draft constitution on Sunday, said EC chairman Supachai Somcharoen.

For the additional question, about 15.13 million Thais, or 58.07 percent of the voters, agreed to have 250 senators picked by the junta, or the National Council for Peace and Order, along with 500 elected members of the House of Representatives while 10.92 million, or 41.93 percent, voted against it.

The results showed a total of 29,740,677 or 59.40 percent of the kingdom's 50,071,589 eligible voters exercised their rights in the referendum. About 936,209 ballots, or 3.15 percent, were void ballots.