Court review of organic bills will not delay poll, Prayut promises

By WASAMON AUDJARINT, 
KAS CHANWANPEN 
THE NATION

 

PM Prayut at Government House on Tuesday.

 

PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday gave his assurance that the chief charter drafter’s proposal to have the Constitutional Court interpret two organic bills essential to hold the election should not cause any further delay to the poll timeline.
 

Chief charter drafter Meechai Ruchuphan suggested that the bills on the election of MPs and Senate selection, approved by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) last week, might contain some points conflicting with the 2017 constitution which, if enacted, could cause further legal complications.

 

Among those is the way in which future senators would be selected. The NLA changed the stipulation that candidates be independent to allow for a mixture of independents and people proposed by organisations, a point that the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) thought might be deemed unconstitutional.

 

Agreeing with Meechai, Prayut said that these points should be made clear from the start and the court would finish its job in time for the promised election timeline to proceed.

 

“The election will be held by next February unless there are uncontrollable factors,” the premier said during his weekly press briefing. “Can I tell the court what to do?”

 

The election date has been shifted four times since the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) came to power after the military coup in 2014. Most of the delays have been blamed on “legal constraints” from legislative bodies appointed by the NCPO itself.

 

The election date is now set for February 2019, three months after the date of November this year promised by Prayut last year. The election delay has been caused by the NLA’s decision to delay enforcement of the organic law draft on the election of MPs by three months.

 

Chartchai Na Chiangmai, a CDC spokesman, said the petition process would not take long and the road map to the election should remain unaffected.

 

He said Meechai should have already submitted a letter of concern to the NLA regarding the bills and the NLA could lodge the petition with the Constitutional Court next week.

 

“I think that the court would take no longer than seven to 10 days to rule whether the bills are constitutional. It doesn’t take much time at all. The road map remains just the same,” he said.

 

Meechai agreed with Chartchai, saying the process would not affect the road map. But if the laws were left unclear, and were in use after the CDC had left office, any legal consequences from then would take the situation back to square one.

 

NLA President Pornpetch Wichitcholchai said he had decided to withdraw the bills he was expected to submit to the government today following the CDC’s proposal. However, it would be up to the NLA members whether they would petition the Constitution Court, and if that was the case, his personal view was that the election of MPs bill would cause a delay in the election.

 

Meanwhile, Prayut remained reluctant yesterday to say whether he would join or advise any political party, as speculation continued to swirl that the Palang Pracha Rath Party would invite him to be its adviser.

 

“They haven’t invited me yet. I don’t know how I will decide. There is still time for politics,” he said. “It depends on how people would like their country to be.”

 

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam also reiterated that Prayut was legally eligible to become a political party member but he said the premier would not be able to stand at the next general election, as the charter required Cabinet members to resign within 90 days of the constitution coming into effect last April.

 

Chuan Chujan, leader of the group, said he had not yet contacted Prayut or anyone in the government to join his party.

 

“I don’t want to put pressure on them. So, I don’t think I will invite them to join us. But if they’d like to, they are welcome,” he said.

 

Palang Pracha Rath group is reportedly a military party formed especially to support Prayut at the next election.

 

Chuan did not confirm or refute this. He just said that people of any occupation could be in politics. 

 

“I don’t see anything bad about the military institution or General Prayut. If they are good and capable of improving this country, why would we have to repulse them?”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30340846

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-14

37 minutes ago, webfact said:

Court review of organic bills will not delay poll, Prayut promises

Is this a real promise or a Pinocchio promise?

“I think that the court would take no longer than seven to 10 days to rule whether the bills are constitutional. It doesn’t take much time at all. The road map remains just the same,” he said.

 

Unless, of course, the Court decides that the bills are not constitutional. In that case, it will be at least a year or two, because the Constitution does not cover this scenario.

 

Nicely played, Prayut! Nobody saw this coming...

Nice "Deck Chair" jacket you little trend setter!!

1 hour ago, webfact said:

“The election will be held by next February unless there are uncontrollable factors,” the premier said during his weekly press briefing. “Can I tell the court what to do?”

“Can I tell the court what to do?”

 

Are you claiming that you haven't already?

 

 

Court review of organic bills will not delay elections, i am more than capable of doing that myself. Prayut said.

By the way, what do you think of my snazzy threads?

Edited March 14, 20188 yr by colinneil

3 hours ago, webfact said:

PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday gave his assurance that the chief charter drafter’s proposal to have the Constitutional Court interpret two organic bills essential to hold the election should not cause any further delay to the poll timeline.

Another promise, does Anyone , other than his yes-men, believe any of this ?

Somewhere, a short-time motel is missing its window curtains.

How many sofa cushions did they shoot for the jacket?

Can someone explain this whole petition to the court issue. From what i understand these laws regarding selection of senators etc would unanimously approved by the NLA with a couple of abstentions and a couple of No votes.

 

To petition the court to review these laws they need 25 NLA members to sign the petition. When there was no real No voting against the provision, why are there now 25 NLA members petitioning the courts, after seemingly they themselves voted to approve them already.

 

Sorry if i am misunderstanding this.

'The election will be held by next February unless there are uncontrollable factors,”  says Prayut

 

He puts it right out there - up-front: there clearly ARE going to be (contrived) 'uncontrollable' factors.

 

Also, as I keep banging on about, there are at least two major state 'uncontrollable factors' that Prayut and his manipulative gang will be able to utilise when the time suits them best and which will set back all politics and the permissibility of political discussion  for months to come thereafter ...

In other news reports, Meechai is quoted as saying the "roadmap will collapse" if the CC doesn't review these two organic bills (electing MP,s, selecting senators) ASAP.

 

I think this is Meechai's 3rd or 4th Constitution; hopefully, he will get to see it "bloom" via "elections".

 

2020-ish seems more likely for any "elections". Not sure what the rush is anyway? Unless the Camo party wins there will just be another coup.

1 hour ago, smutcakes said:

From what i understand these laws regarding selection of senators etc would unanimously approved by the NLA

I don't believe this is the process. Here is what I understand*:

The candidate Senator pool is created by subcommittees, ie., ten in all, representing some aspect of Thai industries and society. Each subcommittee forms a pool of senator candidates and selection  is made by subcommittee majority vote. Successful senator candidates are then forwarded for royal endorsement. 

No NLA is involved. That would be consistent with previous constitutions.

BUT ...

The members of each senate subcommittee are selected by the Senator Selection Committee (SSC). The SSC members are in turn selected by NCPO Chief Prayut. As such I expect selection of subcommittee members and their respective "elected" senatorial candidates must have Prayut's approval prior to submission for royal endorsement.

*(If I'm incorrect I'd appreciate a link to source material so I can archive.)

 

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

I don't believe this is the process. Here is what I understand*:

The candidate Senator pool is created by subcommittees, ie., ten in all, representing some aspect of Thai industries and society. Each subcommittee forms a pool of senator candidates and selection  is made by subcommittee majority vote. Successful senator candidates are then forwarded for royal endorsement. 

No NLA is involved. That would be consistent with previous constitutions.

BUT ...

The members of each senate subcommittee are selected by the Senator Selection Committee (SSC). The SSC members are in turn selected by NCPO Chief Prayut. As such I expect selection of subcommittee members and their respective "elected" senatorial candidates must have Prayut's approval prior to submission for royal endorsement.

*(If I'm incorrect I'd appreciate a link to source material so I can archive.)

 

I mean that the law on how the Senate etc would be selected/appointed was approved by the NLA, but now apparently some NLA members might petition the Constitution court.

Another promise, does Anyone , other than his yes-men, believe any of this ?

in a word ....NO !

8 hours ago, webfact said:

“The election will be held by next February unless there are uncontrollable factors,”

Uncontrollable factors, such as the sun rising in the east for example

I 'Promise' there won't be a Coup he said !

You can not delay what is not going to happen...so I guess that would make him right.

Nice "Deck Chair" jacket you little trend setter!!

I thought PJ's.

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