Thai voters approve new charter

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A referendum on a new constitution in Thailand has passed, final results show.

The Election Commission said 57.8% of those taking part in the weekend vote had accepted the charter.

The military-installed government, which drew up the new constitution, welcomed the result and said it paved the way for elections later this year.

However, correspondents say the outcome of the vote reflects deep political divisions across the country.

The charter was rejected by nearly 63% of voters in the north-east of Thailand, a stronghold of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by the military in a coup last year.

Southern Thailand - including the capital Bangkok and the restive Muslim-majority provinces - saw 88% of voters give the new constitution an overwhelming endorsement.

'Loopholes'

The Election Commission said that 57.6% of the country's eligible voters - nearly 26 million - turned out to vote in Sunday's referendum.

"We consider that this constitution has been approved by the people," said Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont on Sunday, after preliminary results pointed to a victory for the government.

He said the 194-page document would be submitted to the king for endorsement by the end of August, and elections would "definitely be held at the end of the year".

The BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok said the referendum was about a lot more than a constitution which few Thais are likely to have read - it was also a vote on the coup itself.

The charter is meant to replace the popular 1997 constitution, which the generals tore up after seizing power.

Critics say the new constitution is less democratic, as it proposes that the Senate should be only partly elected.

But the government says there were too many loopholes in the old charter that allowed Mr Thaksin to abuse power.

Its also says the new charter has many other clauses, like those recognising minority rights, which are more liberal than before.

The draft document limits future prime ministers to two terms in office and makes it easier to impeach them.