[JURIST] Thailand’s military-backed legislature, known as the National Reform Council, on Sunday rejected a draft of a new constitution. The draft was rejected by a vote of 135-105, with seven abstentions, which will likely delay elections planned for next year until at least 2017. A new 21-member drafting committee must now be appointed to write a new constitution within 180 days. The rejection [AP report] does not come at surprise, as both sides opposed several of the provisions, putting the draft at risk of being voted down in the referendum next year.

The military took control of the Thai government after a coup in May 2014, overthrowing Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Martial law was instituted on May 20, two days before the coup [JURIST report] that ousted the former Thai government and installed General Prayuth Chan-ocha [BBC profile] as the country’s new prime minister. In May of this year Thailand’s military government announced [JURIST report] it would hold a referendum on a new constitution, likely delaying the general elections scheduled for mid-2016.