Srikcir

"Borwornsak Uwanno, the chief charter writer, once said the new constitution was written for all 65 million Thais, and not just 5,000 politicians."

Borwornsak is out of touch with the Thai people's rights and liberties.

He has a constitution written for 65 million Thais by a couple hundred people appointed by the Junta and without the permission or approval of the 65 million Thais. The 2007 constitution was at least approved marginally by 51% of the Thai electorate but still failed support of the 3,000 flag officers. Maybe if Borwornsak put the sovereignty of the Thai people ABOVE and BEYOND THE REACH of the power of the military, a representative constitution for the Thai majority would be acceptable.

" as if to mock the authority of the police - and the law."

"The resulting outcry drew the attention of Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, who duly ordered the Army to punish the non-commissioned officer for presuming to be above the law of the land."

How about an outcry for complete insanity?

Under Article 44 the police are under military command that is the LAW. The sargent was perfectly correct to ignore the police who have no jurisdiction over the military forces.

Gen. Prayut had no problem violating and abolishing the 2007 constitution as the law of the land to establish the Junta's own contrived laws and provide immunity from prosecution of all military within the chain of command for any actions carried out under the Interim Charter. Immunity would include the sargent's actions.

How then does General Prayut justify imposing a conflicting standard on the sargent? It is becoming more difficult to blame Prayut's erratic actions on good intentions than it would be to blame ineffective leadership.

who have registered with police will be required to wear the dark red wristbands in public places.

And what is to stop some enterprising indivdual from making fake wrist bands and selling them ?

One suspects a tatoo on their forearm with all their relevant details might be more effective ?

Tatoos were used effectively at Auschwitz on Jews and Soviet POWs.

End of last year the Commerce Ministry allowed milk producers to increase retail prices by 25 satang per 250-millimetre carton because of the higher cost of raw milk. No doubt producers will be back for another increase. Who could predict a drought during the dry season?

How can Palestine and Israel achieve a two-state solution when the Palestinians have essentially two Heads of State? There is no unity of a Palestiniand government. All Israel needs to do to disrupt the two-state process is let Hamas and the Palestinian Authority fight for power.

"efforts to maximize absentee and early voting on Bush's behalf."

If there has been an election practice by the Republican-controlled states, it has been to PREVENT or IMPEDE absentee and early voting as it tends to favor minority voting.

If the Eu goes forward with a ban, it might encourage the US to do the same with Thailand being on the Tier 3 listing.

Morsi should have used the "Men in Black" defense.

Will Thai fishermen protest at the EU Embassy?

"Two thirds also said Thailand has no necessity in hosting elections within this year"

A TRUE STATEMENT

"Thailand" is the surrogate for the government and the Junta has stated elections will NOT happen in 2015. Thus, there is no necessity in hosting elections within this year, regardless whether the public wants them this year or not.

Never again will the government pay farmers more than market value for their crops.

EXCEPT

When the Junta is threatened with public protests by rice, rubber, cassava, palm oil, etc. farmers. Then the Junta-led government buys their silence with above-market subsidies and finances lower production costs. Influence buying and populist policies are still alive and well!

"Shame on the democratically elected politicians who failed to do so."

No...shame on the majority electorate who elected the politicians who failed. In a democratic system the electorate is the decision maker and if they make the wrong or bad decisions, they suffer the consequences. And it is the electorate that will decide the change. There is nothing efficient with a Junta-led government making education decisions as invariably PERSONAL influences of the Junta leader are interjected. Mandatory teaching of Prayut's 12 Values is a classic example.

I don't think the military and its elitist supporters would have issues with lame-duck governments. Just so long as they can get their annual stipends and pay raises from the nation's treasury, they will be quite happy with a stagnant Thai society.

To the Thai military that makes coups almost an annual event, having an unelected PM is no big deal. The new constitution would just save the military all the effort and expense (born by the Thai taxpayers) to overthrow an elected government when instead it can just appoint the new PM.

The Ubetter be careful or General Prayut will use Article 44 on them.

Was progress being made in the solving of problems left behind by previous governments, and in laying down long-term performance guidelines?

Despite the shutdown of the Yingluck government during 2013 by anti-gpvernment protesters and abandonment of the democratic institutions by the Democrats, the annual GDP growth rate for 2013 was 2.9.

The Centre of Economic and Business Forecast now believes that 2015 growth could be achieved at 2.5 to 3%.According to Deputy Transport Minister Arkhom, during the first quarter 2015, gross domestic product was up 3% year-on-year.

It seems the only progress the Junta-led government is making is increasing its own delusions of economic success.

In August 2014 the Junta had its Interim Charter endorsed as the law of the land. Did the judges then miss Article 44 of the Interim Charter which gave the Junta the power to circumvent the entire judicial system? Last month Gen. Prayut invoked Article 44. And NOW they're objecting to the draft 2015 charter which merely incorporates Article 44 permanently. Their judicial complacency is only matched by their political bias that deceived them into believeing they were truly independent.

"South Korea's media have reported alleged evidence that indicates his ties with Sung."

So how does this prove bribery?

"Netanyahu looks close to finalizing deals with two ultra-Orthodox parties"

I look forward to Nyetanyhow to explain his plans to them for a two-state solution with Plaestinians. Obama needs to join the dialog at the UN to push the two-state solution.

"He also said more time is needed to adjust projections of annual export growth."

Your time is up!

Yesterday the Kasikorn Research Centre predicted ZERO export growth for 2015. Best you start planning for 2016, especially if the EU bans Thai seafood imports due to over fishing and human trafficking in the industry.

"the only recent matter of concern is the slowing growth of exports"

Try ZERO growth for 2015 that was just predicted yesterday by the Kasikorn Research Centre!!!

Exports contribute 70% of Thailand's GDP. Remove that from GDP and you have a serious economic problem. Big deal about the VAT revenues. Thailand has the world's worse tax collection percentage, has had to revoke new tax measures, and slowing of expensive imports further decreases tax.

The downward slide of Thailand's GDP began with interruption of the government operations from the Democrats and PDRC in 2013 and continuing into 2014 with the coup. Since the coup the economcy has continued to worsen, partly beyond the Junta's control and partly to belated and failed Junta economic policies. It is not a recent matter for slowing of exports nor will the slide of the GDP abate anytime soon.

While it is questionable that the GDP growth rate for 2015 wll exceed 2.8%, it is a certainty that the Junta's propoganda on the health of the economy will increase 100% for the year.

Section 280 looks like it will cause some fun. My understanding is that it empowers the unelected National Reform Assembly to propose new legislation, which the Senate (unelected, but no doubt good people) can themselves alone approve.

This will end well.

Yes the NRA and/or NRSC can propose Bills, but only directly related to "reform or reconciliation". The Senate can bulldoze such Bills with a 2/3 majority. Section 280 expires within 5 years.

The 200-member Senate includes 77 directly elected representatives from each province (albeit with each of the maximum 10 candidates per province/constituency having been pre-screened), 58 representatives (also screened) from diverse sectors, 30 Agriculture/Labour/Academic/Community/Local organisation representatives selected by themselves (no screening); 15 representatives from existing registered associations (again self voted, no screening), plus 20 former Permanent Secretaries or equivalent.

To state the the Senate is unelected is not quite accurate; but to state that is is wholly elected would also be inaccurate.

It seems someone with the necessary level of energy, and (equally important) high boredom threshold has actually taken the time to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest the draft document.Perhaps he might even have a conclusion in due course though from a recent article in Big Chilli I fear it will be tinged with the colour of gold, butter and ripe lemons.

In the meantime Bloomberg has a sensible editorial on the whole sorry business

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-04-20/thailand-needs-elected-leaders-not-a-new-constitution

Bllomberg: "Any constitution that tries to get around basic democracy will only ensure that another one needs to be written in a few years." So true for Thailand.

what a joke of a man, he was the ptp's puppet and did whatever they told him too or should I say whatever thaksin said to do. When we look at some of the bullsh*t cases he pushed for them while ignoring any concerning ptp/red people its easy to see why he is now under investigation. Already found with his fingers in the pie of illegal land so no surprises here, thaksin took care of his henchmen very well financially when they did as he told them

There is no one better than the Puppet Master Prayut. No one can question his wealth and its sources while he pursues corruption within the CIVILIAN population.