Thai lawmakers reject bill aimed at weakening military's political role

FILE PHOTO: A pro-democracy protester holds a sign at a rally to demand the government to resign, to dissolve the parliament and to hold new elections under a revised constitution, near the Democracy Monument in Bangkok, Thailand, August 16, 2020. REUTERS/Jorge Silva/File Photo

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's legislature shot down on Wednesday a draft bill aimed at strengthening democracy, in which its backers sought to scrap or overhaul of key institutions they said had been hijacked by the military elite.

A joint session of the lower house of parliament and the Senate voted 473-206 to reject the bill, with six abstentions, which called for a constitution passed under a military junta in 2017 to be changed to ensure a clear separation of powers.