Bangkok: Chaturon Chaisang, a Pheu Thai Party candidate and chairman of the party's campaign committee for the referendum and the people's constitution, is calling on the Election Commission to urgently publicize the rights that citizens will lose if they do not participate in the upcoming referendum. He emphasizes the need for election officials to organize polling stations for both the parliamentary and referendum elections in close proximity to ensure voter participation.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Chaturon expressed concerns about the scheduled referendum on February 8th, highlighting the potential for low public awareness. He pointed out that the distances between polling stations and ballot collection points might deter voters, causing them to leave without casting their referendum ballots. To address this, he suggests intensifying public awareness campaigns and instructing election officials to arrange polling units in a way that facilitates seamless voting for both events.

Mr. Chaturon further advises the Election Commission to expedite the dissemination of information regarding the negative consequences of abstaining from the referendum. The loss of rights includes ineligibility to run for various positions and the inability to hold national and local political office, akin to the repercussions of not voting in a general election. He believes that the public may not yet be fully aware of these significant implications.

He also notes that if 70 percent of the population participates in the general election but few engage in the referendum, it would likely be due to inadequate publicity and venue arrangements. The intention behind scheduling the referendum alongside the general election was to encourage those who vote in the parliamentary elections to also take part in the referendum.