This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5396208.stm
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Thai army announces constitution | Thai army announces constitution |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The leaders of last month's military coup in Thailand have announced a new interim constitution. | The leaders of last month's military coup in Thailand have announced a new interim constitution. |
| An army spokesman said a new prime minister would be appointed later on Sunday - but the military junta reserves the right to sack him. | An army spokesman said a new prime minister would be appointed later on Sunday - but the military junta reserves the right to sack him. |
| The army is also to retain substantial powers until elections, which have been promised for late next year. | The army is also to retain substantial powers until elections, which have been promised for late next year. |
| The military unveiled the new constitution on television, saying King Bhumibol had endorsed it. | The military unveiled the new constitution on television, saying King Bhumibol had endorsed it. |
| New elections | |
| The coup leaders had said the military had to overthrow the former government to stop systematic corruption from the regime of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. | |
| The new constitution will be drawn up before new elections in October 2007, the junta said. | |
| The new prime minister is expected to be a former military officer, although the coup leaders have refused to confirm this, reports say. | |
| Mr Thaksin, who came to power in 2001, had proved a controversial and divisive leader. | |
| Although he was extremely popular with Thailand's rural poor, his abrasive style and huge wealth won him many enemies and appeared to split the nation. | |
| Mounting protests earlier this year undermined his position. | |
| But it was his easy victory in April's general election - subsequently declared invalid - that may have prompted the generals to act. | |
| The leader of the coup, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, made his mark in recent months with some very public disagreements with the deposed prime minister. |