CIAO DATE: 05/2009
April 2007
A decade ago, the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand B.E. 2540 (1997) became an international model for the participatory process by which it was adopted and for the broad reforms and government restructuring it enacted. Unfortunately, some of the new institutions and processes intended by that charter to fight corruption were methodically corrupted over the past few years. Thai citizens increasingly came to view their government as out of control and no longer legitimate. Last September, the military seized control of Thailand’s governmental administration, abrogated the 1997 Constitution and formed an interim government under an interim constitution. Thailand now faces a crisis of confidence regarding the foundations of its democracy and has embarked on a new search for governmental integrity and stability within a democratic framework.
Resource link: Electoral Assessment: Thailand: 2007 Pre-Election Technical Assessment Report [PDF] - 672K