<div> <div>Various cases of polling irregularities in the August referendum have been reported to the Prachatai referendum watch centre. A referendum watchdog coordinator said the irregularities were due to the election commission’s failure to facilitate the referendum. </div></div>

<p>The Thai junta premier welcomed the draft charter referendum result, saying the referendum was open and transparent and pointed out that Thailand’s foreign allies have intervened in its political transition.</p>

<p>Thai police have granted bail to an anti-junta activist detained for ripping up his ballot paper for the referendum on the controversial junta-sponsored draft constitution.</p> <p>After interrogation, police at Bangna Police Station in Bangkok at around 10:40 pm on Sunday, 7 August 2016, granted 20,000 baht bail to Piyarat Jongthep, head of the For Friends Association (FFA), an association providing assistance to political prisoners and dissidents.</p>

<div>Initial projections for Thailand’s August 2016 referendum predict that the military-backed draft constitution has been accepted by a safe majority.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Sunday, 7 August 2016, at press time, VoiceTV’s real-time referendum results show that almost 90 per cent of August referendum ballots have been counted. In response to the referendum’s first question asking whether voters accepted the draft charter, some 62 percent of voters selected ‘yes’. </div>

<div> <div>Voters across the country have reportedly torn apart ballot papers for the August referendum in the mistaken belief that the dashed line on the ballot was for tearing. </div></div>

<div><span>7 August 2016</span></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>As regards what happened today, I would like to inform state officials, the media, and the people that I was fully conscious of my actions. I am not mentally ill. I was neither on drugs nor was I drunk.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>My actions grew out of the consciousness of a citizen who only wishes to demand and stand firm for rights and freedom, which ought to be ours. Whatever the result, I will take responsibility for my actions. </div>

<p>The police have detained a youth anti-junta activist after he tore up his ballot paper and shouted "dictatorship shall be ruined and democracy shall triumph."</p> <p>A Facebook user named <a href="https://web.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1034326523348847&amp;set=a.111263448988497.15076.100003145279210&amp;type=3&amp;permPage=1&amp;_rdr">Thongtham Kaewpanpruek</a> reported that at 12 noon on Sunday, 7 August 2016, the police detained Piyarat Jongthep, the head of the For Friends Association (FFA), an association providing assistance to political prisoners and dissidents.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The Thai authorities detained two persons for tearing the voting tickets for the draft constitution referendum.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) reported on Sunday morning, 7 August 2016, that the police detained a 54-year-old woman in Bang Na District of Bangkok after she tore apart the voting ticket for the draft constitution referendum.</p> <p dir="ltr">At press time, she is being interrogated by the Thai police.</p>

<p>One day before the referendum on the junta-sponsored draft charter, the Thai authorities arrested two anti-junta activists in Isaan, northeastern Thailand, for distributing anti-constitution flyers.</p>

<div>The embattled politician from the Pheu Thai Party believes that no matter what the referendum result is, elections must be held by 2017 but in any event democracy will not return to Thailand in the near future. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>What is the future of Thailand’s politics ? Why do some Thais decide to ‘vote yes,’ while some go for ‘vote no,’ and some decide not to go to vote at all? Most importantly, what is the possible result of the referendum? </div>

<p dir="ltr">As the voting for the referendum for the 21th constitution will be held tomorrow, here is what you need to know before casting your ballot.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>What has been going on with the referendum campaign lately?</strong></p>

<div>For the past number of months, youth and student activists around the country have been challenging the upcoming constitutional referendum, and, certainly with the help of the junta, have made it clear this referendum is a democratic farce.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 7 August 2016, Thai citizens, many of whom are unaware there is a referendum, and or are unable to make an informed vote, will take to voting stations to decide on a constitutional referendum, put forward by the junta.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>In Thailand, the country with 99.99 per cent democracy, according </div>