Throwing in the Towel – No Clarity? The February 8 Referendum Verdict
Thailand's government has declined to endorse a constitutional amendment draft needed to establish a new drafting assembly following February's referendum, where 21.6 million voters backed a complete constitution overhaul, creating uncertai
The Cabinet's decision to 'not endorse' the constitutional amendment draft on Article 256 and Section 15/1 to pave the way for appointing Constitutional Drafting Assembly members is drawing scrutiny. This goes beyond simply letting the draft languish in the process—it signals the government's stance toward the more than 21 million voters who approved a new constitution in the referendum.
The February 8, 2026 referendum result represents a clear political mandate: despite over 11 million opposing votes, 21.6 million voted in favor, reflecting substantial social consensus that the 2017 Constitution has fundamental problems requiring a complete overhaul rather than piecemeal amendments.
Logically, the next step after the referendum should have been advancing the constitutional amendment to enable the assembly to proceed. Instead, the government chose not to endorse the original draft while offering no clarity on whether or when a new draft would be proposed.
From the ruling coalition's perspective, delays may serve political calculations, but procrastination carries its own political costs. The government attempts to justify the delay by citing urgent needs to address economic problems, energy crises, and cost-of-living issues first, but this explanation rings hollow. In practice, constitutional reform and economic fixes can advance simultaneously—they're not mutually exclusive.
This contradiction becomes glaring when the government is simultaneously pushing forward with a 400-billion-baht emergency loan decree for economic relief while providing no constitutional roadmap. This raises questions about how seriously the government takes the people's voice.
The Bhumjaithai Party, as a leading government coalition member, cannot escape responsibility for this. Constitutional reform is not merely a political promise—it's a matter on which the people have clearly expressed their will through the referendum. If the government remains indifferent and allows the constitutional reform process to stall further, public dissatisfaction may gradually accumulate and eventually erupt as broader political pressure. Ultimately, this could become a new flashpoint of conflict that directly threatens the stability of the Bhumjaithai-led government.
