Opposition bloc launches public campaign for changes to ‘undemocratic’ Constitution

[webfact]

Opposition bloc launches public campaign for changes to ‘undemocratic’ Constitution

By The Nation

 

 

The opposition bloc has formed a working group to campaign among the general public for amendments to what it deems the current “undemocratic” Constitution, a politician from the Puea Chart Party said on Monday.

 

Ketpreeya Kaewsanmuang, spokesperson for the opposition party, said the campaign had been launched on Monday to coincide with the establishment of a Thai democratic state and the promulgation of the country’s first charter on June 24, 1932.

 

She said the opposition bloc’s goal was to amend the Constitution, written after the military coup of May 2014, to “become democratic for the maximum benefit of the country and the people”.

 

The Puea Chart politician also noted that when King Prajadhipok abdicated following the Siamese Revolution of 1932, he proclaimed that he had agreed to pass on his royal powers to the general public, and not any particular groups of people.

 

Ketpreeya said the current Constitution had been written for the benefit of the ruling junta, the National Council for Peace and Order, without taking into account “the true voice of the people”. 

 

Clauses in the charter were aimed at keeping the council in power, she added.

 

In the run-up to the 2016 public referendum on the draft constitution, detractors of the charter and those who made accusations of vote-rigging faced legal actions that resulted in fines and imprisonment, she said. 

 

Those people included Puea Chart’s “main campaign assistants”, Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Jatuporn Prompan, she pointed out.

 

Both men are key leaders of the red-shirt movement and, due to their previous legal offences, they have been prohibited by law from contesting an election.

 

The opposition’s working group on constitutional amendments is headed by Prachachart Party secretary-general Thawee Sodsong, with Pheu Thai Party deputy secretary-general Paophum Rajanasakul serving as its secretary, Ketpreeya announced.

 

She said the group would work with members of the public from all elements of society, in order to determine the main areas of the Constitution that should be amended.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/politics/30371650

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-10-31

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[Creasy]

Good luck.

[FarFlungFalang]

The main areas of the current constitution to amend would be the undemocratic ones that's the easy part better off determining how to do it successfully without ending up in gaol is the tricky bit.

[leeneeds]

Article 44 for you young lady, 

nothing will be done until 2023/24, 

in earnest the campaign will begin,

nothing will change in the short term.

 

[Mavideol]

nothing can and/or will be done...Prayut was ""democratically elected 5555"" for life and the constitution was changed by a "" democratically 555"" vote whereby the ballots had only 1 choice,

...... do you want the constitution to be amended, please cross the YES box 555 (sarcasm intended)
 

[holy cow cm]

She's cute. 

[yellowboat]

How do you say better late than never in Thai?

15 hours ago, webfact said:

Ketpreeya said the current Constitution had been written for the benefit of the ruling junta, the National Council for Peace and Order, without taking into account “the true voice of the people”. 

That is standard operating procedure for any tinpot who wants to turn a perfectly good country into a banana republic. 

 

15 hours ago, webfact said:

......campaign had been launched on Monday to coincide with the establishment of a Thai democratic state and the promulgation of the country’s first charter on June 24, 1932.

It has as much chance of success as finding the 1932 plaque.  More power to them.

 

[jingjai9]

My worry is that this spokesperson will be criminalized for making this point.

 

 

[AgMech Cowboy]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

She said the opposition bloc’s goal was to amend the Constitution, written after the military coup of May 2014, to “become democratic for the maximum benefit of the country and the people”.

Correction: the opposition bloc's goal is to amend the Constitution to "become democratic for the maximum benefit of the country and the people Puea Thai Party and their cronies".

 

No, I'm not a big Prayut or military supporter, but I sure do like the peace and no demonstrations. Puea Thai just wants it their way 'right now'.

[billd766]

1 hour ago, AgMech Cowboy said:

Correction: the opposition bloc's goal is to amend the Constitution to "become democratic for the maximum benefit of the country and the people Puea Thai Party and their cronies".

 

No, I'm not a big Prayut or military supporter, but I sure do like the peace and no demonstrations. Puea Thai just wants it their way 'right now'.

quote "Correction: the opposition bloc's goal is to amend the Constitution to "become democratic for the maximum benefit of the country and the people Puea Thai Party and their cronies".

 

Well it was written to "become democratic for the maximum benefit of the army who were and still are running the country and certainly not to benefit the people.

[yellowboat]

3 hours ago, AgMech Cowboy said:

Correction: the opposition bloc's goal is to amend the Constitution to "become democratic for the maximum benefit of the country and the people Puea Thai Party and their cronies".

 

No, I'm not a big Prayut or military supporter, but I sure do like the peace and no demonstrations. Puea Thai just wants it their way 'right now'.

That peace you are experiencing is stagnation, hopelessness courtesy of the junta.  This   fits what you are saying perfectly:

 

"Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty."

Thomas Jefferson

Sadly more and more today are timid. 

[Redline]

She is braver than most, and I wish all of them the best in their endeavors to do the he right thing-Thailand can not dictate the definitions of democracy 

[yellowboat]

4 hours ago, Redline said:

She is braver than most, and I wish all of them the best in their endeavors to do the he right thing-Thailand can not dictate the definitions of democracy 

Given that the so called democrats installed a coup leader, it would mean they cannot spell "democracy" let alone define it. 

 

She is brave.  Hope she is not stacked by men wearing masks wearing jack boots, riding motor bikes without licenses plates.

[Eligius]

It really makes no difference whether they make the most perfect, humane, universally admired and just Constitution that history and the entire universe has ever seen: because the Rulers will not even bother to swear to uphold it (and nothing will be done about it).

 

Do these politicians who want to 'change the Constitution' not yet get what kind of a regime they are living under?!!!

 

 

[billd766]

18 hours ago, Redline said:

She is braver than most, and I wish all of them the best in their endeavors to do the he right thing-Thailand can not dictate the definitions of democracy 

Unfortunately this Thai government, backed up as they are by the army and its guns, can dictate the definitions of democracy. They have proved that on quite a few occasions, that are willing to turn their guns on the civilian population.

 

 

[Srikcir]

On 10/31/2019 at 3:06 PM, webfact said:

Opposition bloc launches public campaign for changes to ‘undemocratic’ Constitution

Start by making Section 2 of the 2017 Constitution more honest by changing "Thailand adopts a democratic regime of government" to 'Thailand adopts an oligarchical regime of government.'

The Democracy Index labels Thailand as a "hybrid regime" which is the next DOWN from a "flawed democracy.