Asian Angle | Thailand’s election will pass verdict on the architecture of elite control
After court rulings removed successive PMs, this election tests whether a popular mandate can finally survive the state’s veto traps
On Sunday, Thai voters will do two things at once: elect a new House of Representatives and decide, via referendum, whether to begin drafting a new constitution.
Despite two elections since the 2019 transition from military rule, the pattern remains worrisome for the state of democracy in Thailand.
Indeed, these episodes reflect the reach of Thailand’s veto architecture under the military-drafted 2017 constitution. The charter embeds unelected controls across the political arena, which in turn shape government formation, constrain elected officials and raise hurdles for constitutional changes. For the first five years after 2019, for instance, an appointed Senate voted alongside the House to select the prime minister.