Thailand's new draft charter makes auspiciously timed debut
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Thailand's proposed new constitution was unveiled to the public at precisely 1:39 p.m., a time its drafters believe will bring good luck to a highly controversial charter that has been criticized as undemocratic.
The proposed constitution, unveiled Tuesday, will be put to a referendum in August, followed by elections that junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha has promised for 2017.
Critics say the charter reserves too much power for the military that toppled an elected government and suspended democracy with its May 2014 coup.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Politicians from both sides of Thailand's political divide have shown rare unity in opposing earlier versions of the draft, which contained proposals for an appointed Senate and a vaguely worded clause that suggests the prime minister does not need to be an elected official.