NLA members voted 153-0, with five abstentions, to support the draft law in principle.

A 21-member ad hoc committee was set up to look into the bill in detail, in preparation for further deliberation by the assembly.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam told the NLA during yesterday’s meeting that the bill was drafted by the Election Commission and based on the 2009 Referendum Act, related EC announcements and regulations, and suggestions from relevant state agencies.

Wissanu, who is in charge of the government’s legal affairs, said at the meeting that he had talked with EC members and it was agreed that the referendum should be held in early August. He said clear rules and regulations were needed for holding the national vote, and therefore a new law specifically for this was necessary. The law also specifies penalties against offenders, such as individuals who attempt to obstruct the voting.

Many NLA members took to the floor to debate the bill. Some of them raised concerns that some clauses in the draft law might contradict the amended version of the post-coup provisional charter. Wissanu told the NLA meeting that the law was only for this referendum on the draft charter.

“I believe that the EC did their best in drafting this law. But because of time restraints, the EC may need to revise it a bit so it’s compatible with the amended interim charter. The EC had only seven days to complete the bill’s drafting,” Wissanu said, adding that the Cabinet forwarded the bill to the NLA without making any revisions.

He said the Council of State, the government’s legal-advisory agency, was not assigned to examine the draft law because the process would be time-consuming.

Wissanu said the ad hoc committee would improve the original draft based on suggestions made by NLA members yesterday.