Draft Charter Ready For Vote

[Jai Dee]

PM says the interim government urges to publicize the constitution and public referendum

The Prime Minister, Gen. Surayud Chulanont, says the government is quickly publicizing the information of the constitution draft and the constitution referendum.

The Prime Minister says he is confident that the majority of the Thai people would exercise their rights and vote for the new charter. However, he strongly believes that the movement of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra would not affected the referendum.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 18 July 2007

[Jai Dee]

PM pleads with public to vote in the constitution referendum

The Prime Minister, Gen. Surayud Chulanont, calls for Thai people to vote for the new constitution draft while affirming that the general election will be held if the draft has been approved.

The Prime Minister yesterday (Jul 17) chaired the forum to campaign for Thai labourers to take part in the constitution referendum. The forum was held at the Indoor Stadium, Hua Mak, and was co-organized by the Ministry of Labour, the Election Commission and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to encourage. The forum educated entrepreneurs, workforces and relevant bodies about the process of the referendum.

In addition, Gen. Surayud says people have high expectations on the charter draft and hopes that it can rectify the problems in the country. He says the general election could be organized by the end of this year if the constitution draft has approved by the public. He says this would be the first inaugural constitution referendum in Thailand, and Thailand is the fifth country in the world to organize this public event.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 18 July 2007

[Mid]

another day , same question

anybody seen a copy of the draft yet ??

[quiksilva]

Democrat Secretary General not shaken over 82% unknown about referendum

The Secretary-General of the Democrat Party, Mr. Suthep Thuagsuban, is not worried about the result of a recent survey, revealing that 82 percent of the respondents are unaware of the 2007 constitution referendum. He says people have their own judgment of what is good for them and the country, and thus, he is not worried about the anti-charter group.

Mr. Suthep says the interim government, the Election Commission and the Ministry of Interior must expedite the public relations on the referendum proactively. At the same time, different ministries must work together in encouraging public members to take part in the referendum.

The Democrat Secretary-General admits that his party has prepared for the MP candidates but the announcement would be made prior the application date. He affirms that his party has set the working committees to tackle national issues, particularly the southern unrest and the economy.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 18 July 2007

He should be very worried, I am increasingly finding myself having to explain what it is to Thais..

[Mosha]

another day , same question

anybody seen a copy of the draft yet ??

My wife got her booklet yesterday. It's so far unread, and I reckon it will remain unread. She'll wait for the local Mu Ban meeting, and for someone to tell what to vote for. Then when it all goes pear shaped blame someone else. God forbid reading the book will interupt her daily Len Phai sessons.

[Jai Dee]

Military chiefs discuss arrangement of constitution referendum

Commanders-in-Chief of the four armies hold a meeting to discuss the security situation and the arrangement of the constitution referendum after the government reports that the majority of people lack knowledge on the referendum.

The four Commanders-in-Chiefs include Supreme Commander Gen.Boonsang Niempradit (บุญสร้าง เนียมประดิษฐ์), Army Commander Gen.Sonthi Boonyaratglin (สนธิ บุญยรัตกลิน), Air Force Commander ACM.Chalit Pukbhasuk (ชลิต พุกผาสุข), and Navy Commander Adm.Satirapan Keyanon (สถิรพันธ์ เกยานนท์). Caretaker Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police Pol.Gen.Seripisut Temiyavet (เสรีพิศุทธ์ เตมียาเวส) has also attended the meeting arranged at the Police Headquarters.

Sources said the meeting will also discuss insurgency in the three Southern border provinces and the general election.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 18 July 2007

[Mid]

Thailand heads for Guinness record with upcoming referendum

Posted July 18th, 2007

By DPA

Bangkok : Thailand could enter the Guinness Book of World Records next month for holding the world's first referendum to pass a constitution after giving the population less than a month to prepare for it, Thai academics say.

On Aug 19, the Thai people will decide in a national referendum whether to accept a new charter drafted by the military-appointed Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDF).

The assembly, which finished drafting Thailand's latest constitution June 28, will distribute 19 million copies of the document to 19 million families nationwide by July 19 and will commence educating the public on the contents of the charter as of July 31, said Kiatchai Pongpanich, a member of the CDF.

The Constitution Drafting Assembly will have only 19 days to inform the public about the new constitution, a lengthy and complex document containing 339 articles.

[Mid]

another day , same question

anybody seen a copy of the draft yet ??

My wife got her booklet yesterday. It's so far unread, and I reckon it will remain unread. She'll wait for the local Mu Ban meeting, and for someone to tell what to vote for. Then when it all goes pear shaped blame someone else. God forbid reading the book will interupt her daily Len Phai sessons.

thanxs ,

still nothing here , tomorrow is another day ..................

[LaoPo]

another day , same question

anybody seen a copy of the draft yet ??

My wife got her booklet yesterday. It's so far unread, and I reckon it will remain unread. She'll wait for the local Mu Ban meeting, and for someone to tell what to vote for. Then when it all goes pear shaped blame someone else. God forbid reading the book will interupt her daily Len Phai sessons.

thanxs ,

still nothing here , tomorrow is another day ..................

There was a non-authorized translation somewhere on this forum but sorry, I can't remember where or which topic it was.

Maybe one of the Mods can remember ?

LaoPo

[Mid]

There was a non-authorized translation somewhere on this forum but sorry, I can't remember where or which topic it was.

cheers mate , that was me

[Jai Dee]

There was a non-authorized translation somewhere on this forum but sorry, I can't remember where or which topic it was.

Maybe one of the Mods can remember ?

There was an earlier unofficial translation posted here.

[Jai Dee]

2nd Region Army urges people to take part in referendum

The 2nd Region Army is educating the local villagers about the 2007 constitution draft, and is encouraging them to take part in the 2007 constitution referendum on August 19th this year so that the general election can be held soon.

The Deputy Commander of the 2nd Region Army and Deputy Director of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), Maj. Gen. Weewalit Jornsamlit (วีร์วลิต จรสัมฤทธิ์), says the 2nd Region Army officials are quickly educating public members about the charter draft and urging them to join the referendum. However, it would be up to their understandings and reasons whether they would approve or disapprove the draft.

Maj. Gen. Weewalit would like the general public to study the charter draft comprehensively and take part in the referendum. Thus, the general election can be held soon and democracy would be retained. Maj. Gen. Weewalit believes the public will elect moral and honest people to run the country following the election.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 19 July 2007

[Mid]

OK , the copies are out there ,

todays question is more region specific ,

anybody on the southern islands see a copy yet ??

[slimdog]

Copy of draft for everyone

Thailand Post started distributing copies of the draft constitution yesterday to almost 20 million families nationwide, as part of plans to publicise the public referendum on the new charter.Published on July 13, 2007

I have been a bit busy these last few weeks, and so have not had much time to keep up with the news, but one thing which has been puzzling me on reading the above quote is this:

On or around the 13th July they Distributed (disseminated) copies of the proposed Constitution.

Mosha has already confirmed that his wife has received a copy. (17th July) which confirms that dissemination has taken place.

The 2006 Interim Constitution clearly states:

Article 29

Upon the completion of the Draft Constitution, it shall be disseminated as information to the general public, and a referendum on whetherto approve or disapprove the entire Draft Constitution shall be held after fifteen days but not more than thirty days as from the date of dissemination

They are planning to hold the referendum on the 19th August.

This is clearly greater than the 30 day maximum the Constitution allows, which considering the topic of the referendum.....

[Mid]

The 2006 Interim Constitution clearly states:

Article 29

Upon the completion of the Draft Constitution, it shall be disseminated as information to the general public, and a referendum on whetherto approve or disapprove the entire Draft Constitution shall be held after fifteen days but not more than thirty days as from the date of dissemination

good point ,

anyone with an official copy able to check this ?

[slimdog]

Official Copy of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (Interim) BE 2549 (2006)

can be found at:

http://www.senate.go.th/pdf/const.pdf

[Mid]

cheers , I've had that for ages ,

I mean the hard copy being distributed now .

[Mid]

watch this space ............

currently on local TV , corruption in printing / distribution ???

Edited July 19, 2007 by Mid

[jbowman1993]

Here is a nice editoral from today's issue of The Nation. It is written by a Thai academic, currently serving as a Harvard Fellow at Harvard University.

What's new about the new constitution?

The first referendum in Thai political history will take place shortly amid social equivocation on whether to accept or reject the draft.

written by Dr Kriengsak Chareonwongsak

Published on July 19, 2007

Before voting in the referendum, which in my view is a highly important channel to usher the country back into normalcy, the public should refrain from letting themselves be influenced by feelings or prevailing trends. Rather, they should have an opportunity to carefully consider the substance of the draft constitution by themselves.

As an economist, I have compared the 1997 constitution with the 2007 draft, particularly as they relate to policy thinking and economic issues. I hope my comparative analysis provides members of the public with better information for their decision.

The concept behind both the 1997 and 2007 constitutions has not changed; namely, the emphasis is on a liberal market economy, market mechanisms, and state responsibility in providing public welfare.

Such a line of thinking resonates with the concept of "social liberalism", the central tenet of which involves the provision of equal economic opportunities for all and allowing for the free function of market mechanisms - with the state exerting minimal control. Examples include the provision of laws against market monopolies, the setting up of oversight bodies, and the setting of a minimum wage, etc. The state also has the responsibility to provide education, public healthcare, and other public services on an equal basis using the national tax base.

If we consider the similarities between the two charters, we will find that all the provisions related to the economy in the 1997 version remain intact in the 2007 draft. These include the regulatory oversight to ensure a liberal economy with checks-and-balance mechanisms; the promotion of equitable income distribution; the provision of state subsidies for education and healthcare, and the decentralisation of fiscal authorities to local administrations.

The added substance in the new charter mostly concerns minor additions, such as the stipulation concerning methods of income distribution through the protection, promotion, and expansion of career opportunities, and a detailed provision enabling the poor and the disabled to have access to educational subsidies.

The new constitution has three new major additions:

The first one involves the provision that a treaty or an agreement that provides for a change in the jurisdiction of the state, or which has an impact on economic or social security, and result in trade, investment, or budgetary commitments must be approved by the National Assembly and open to public participation. The details of such agreements must be made publicly available. In addition, organic laws concerning compensation for those adversely affected by such agreements have been added.

Another addition involves clarifying the rules of budgetary procedures while making them more transparent and subject to better oversight with a view to improving economic stability. For these purposes, there is a proposal that the national budget bill must include detailed information on state revenues and fiscal status in the past year. There is also a provision requiring the promulgation of fiscal and monetary laws to serve as a framework for public expenditures, and demanding that an explanation be presented to the National Assembly on revenues from state enterprises that will not be returned to state coffers or off-budget spending.

The last addition concerns state enterprise reform. A clause stipulates that the state must provide basic essential infrastructure that is not monopolised by the private sector, and that the state cannot own more than 51 per cent of the basic networks of infrastructure essential to the people's lives or national security.

When considering only the economic provisions, I am of the view that the 2007 draft charter is an effort to correct the loopholes of the previous constitution that were responsible for several economic problems in the past administration, such as the negotiation of free-trade agreements, state enterprise reforms, the lack of transparency in public finance and budgetary procedures, income distribution, and educational subsidies.

I agree with the above additions, particularly the legislative clauses supervising the process of entering into international treaties and agreements and requiring better transparency and oversight for national budgetary procedures. The principle that bars private sector monopoly of basic infrastructure is also a positive addition.

Nevertheless, there remain some other economic issues that should also be incorporated into the new charter, such as the stipulation that contract-making between the pubic and private sectors be more transparent and subject to more scrutiny, and that consumer protection and compensation be more efficient, etc.

The inadequacy of the national budget for public welfare remains another issue that has not been tackled in the new draft charter. Although the provision of free compulsory education is based on a good principle, it may cause serious budgetary implications.

My view is that people who can afford to pay for education should be allowed to contribute to the national budget. This involves finding ways to expand the tax base to alleviate the budgetary burden of providing state welfare.

However, a more important issue is that emphasis should be given not only to the constitution's substantive provisions, but also to whether the government seriously implements and concretises the principles enshrined in the charter. It is crucial not to repeat past mistakes whereby the constitution is not much more than letters on a piece of paper.

Dr Kriengsak Chareonwongsak is a senior fellow at Harvard University's Centre for Business and Government.

Special to The Nation

Cambridge, Massachusetts

[jbowman1993]

Copy of draft for everyone

Thailand Post started distributing copies of the draft constitution yesterday to almost 20 million families nationwide, as part of plans to publicise the public referendum on the new charter.Published on July 13, 2007

I have been a bit busy these last few weeks, and so have not had much time to keep up with the news, but one thing which has been puzzling me on reading the above quote is this:

On or around the 13th July they Distributed (disseminated) copies of the proposed Constitution.

Mosha has already confirmed that his wife has received a copy. (17th July) which confirms that dissemination has taken place.

The 2006 Interim Constitution clearly states:

Article 29

Upon the completion of the Draft Constitution, it shall be disseminated as information to the general public, and a referendum on whetherto approve or disapprove the entire Draft Constitution shall be held after fifteen days but not more than thirty days as from the date of dissemination

They are planning to hold the referendum on the 19th August.

This is clearly greater than the 30 day maximum the Constitution allows, which considering the topic of the referendum.....

Must be the dam_n junta! Trying to prolong their grip on power an extra 5 days. Or maybe its not the date they start the dissemination, but the date they finish? Either way, we are talking about 5 days at most.

Edited July 19, 2007 by jbowman1993

[LaoPo]

Here is a nice editoral from today's issue of The Nation. It is written by a Thai academic, currently serving as a Harvard Fellow at Harvard University.

What's new about the new constitution?

The first referendum in Thai political history will take place shortly amid social equivocation on whether to accept or reject the draft.

written by Dr Kriengsak Chareonwongsak

Published on July 19, 2007

Before voting in the referendum, which in my view is a highly important channel to usher the country back into normalcy, the public should refrain from letting themselves be influenced by feelings or prevailing trends. Rather, they should have an opportunity to carefully consider the substance of the draft constitution by themselves.

As an economist, I have compared the 1997 constitution with the 2007 draft, particularly as they relate to policy thinking and economic issues. I hope my comparative analysis provides members of the public with better information for their decision.

The concept behind both the 1997 and 2007 constitutions has not changed; namely, the emphasis is on a liberal market economy, market mechanisms, and state responsibility in providing public welfare.

Such a line of thinking resonates with the concept of "social liberalism", the central tenet of which involves the provision of equal economic opportunities for all and allowing for the free function of market mechanisms - with the state exerting minimal control. Examples include the provision of laws against market monopolies, the setting up of oversight bodies, and the setting of a minimum wage, etc. The state also has the responsibility to provide education, public healthcare, and other public services on an equal basis using the national tax base.

If we consider the similarities between the two charters, we will find that all the provisions related to the economy in the 1997 version remain intact in the 2007 draft. These include the regulatory oversight to ensure a liberal economy with checks-and-balance mechanisms; the promotion of equitable income distribution; the provision of state subsidies for education and healthcare, and the decentralisation of fiscal authorities to local administrations.

The added substance in the new charter mostly concerns minor additions, such as the stipulation concerning methods of income distribution through the protection, promotion, and expansion of career opportunities, and a detailed provision enabling the poor and the disabled to have access to educational subsidies.

The new constitution has three new major additions:

The first one involves the provision that a treaty or an agreement that provides for a change in the jurisdiction of the state, or which has an impact on economic or social security, and result in trade, investment, or budgetary commitments must be approved by the National Assembly and open to public participation. The details of such agreements must be made publicly available. In addition, organic laws concerning compensation for those adversely affected by such agreements have been added.

Another addition involves clarifying the rules of budgetary procedures while making them more transparent and subject to better oversight with a view to improving economic stability. For these purposes, there is a proposal that the national budget bill must include detailed information on state revenues and fiscal status in the past year. There is also a provision requiring the promulgation of fiscal and monetary laws to serve as a framework for public expenditures, and demanding that an explanation be presented to the National Assembly on revenues from state enterprises that will not be returned to state coffers or off-budget spending.

The last addition concerns state enterprise reform. A clause stipulates that the state must provide basic essential infrastructure that is not monopolised by the private sector, and that the state cannot own more than 51 per cent of the basic networks of infrastructure essential to the people's lives or national security.

When considering only the economic provisions, I am of the view that the 2007 draft charter is an effort to correct the loopholes of the previous constitution that were responsible for several economic problems in the past administration, such as the negotiation of free-trade agreements, state enterprise reforms, the lack of transparency in public finance and budgetary procedures, income distribution, and educational subsidies.

I agree with the above additions, particularly the legislative clauses supervising the process of entering into international treaties and agreements and requiring better transparency and oversight for national budgetary procedures. The principle that bars private sector monopoly of basic infrastructure is also a positive addition.

Nevertheless, there remain some other economic issues that should also be incorporated into the new charter, such as the stipulation that contract-making between the pubic and private sectors be more transparent and subject to more scrutiny, and that consumer protection and compensation be more efficient, etc.

The inadequacy of the national budget for public welfare remains another issue that has not been tackled in the new draft charter. Although the provision of free compulsory education is based on a good principle, it may cause serious budgetary implications.

My view is that people who can afford to pay for education should be allowed to contribute to the national budget. This involves finding ways to expand the tax base to alleviate the budgetary burden of providing state welfare.

However, a more important issue is that emphasis should be given not only to the constitution's substantive provisions, but also to whether the government seriously implements and concretises the principles enshrined in the charter. It is crucial not to repeat past mistakes whereby the constitution is not much more than letters on a piece of paper.

Dr Kriengsak Chareonwongsak is a senior fellow at Harvard University's Centre for Business and Government.

Special to The Nation

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Strange.

Not a single word from the esteemed Dr. about the increased powers for the military included in the new draft constitution.

And, that's odd.

LaoPo

[Jai Dee]

Labour Protection and Welfare invites employees to vote in charter referendum

Executive of the Labour Protection and Welfare Office in Surin Province, Watchareeporn Chamnarnsilp (วัชรีภรณ์ ชำนาญศิลป์), reports that the Ministry of Labour has announced a ministerial regulation requiring enterprises to allow their employees to vote in the constitution referendum.

Mrs Watchareeporn also calls on employers, business owners, as well as other relevant people to facilitate the employees who wish to vote outside their hometown. Employees can take a day off from work to vote in the referendum; they are also exempted from a pay cut.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 19 July 2007

[Jai Dee]

Govt. expedites kicks off campaign to educate people about charter draft and referendum

The government kicks off a campaign to educate people about the constitution draft and referendum in a bid to assist the people in deciding for themselves whether to vote for or against the charter draft.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont (สุรยุทธ์ จุลานนท์) discloses that the majority of people do not understand the content of the constitution draft as well as the referendum method. The premier affirms the government has deployed all media operating under it to support public relations activities arranged by the Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) and the Election Commission.

The premier states that people will decide for themselves whether to approve the charter draft. He also expresses his confidence that the charter draft, which is being amended by CDA, will be able to resolve the country’s crisis.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 19 July 2007

[slimdog]

Copy of draft for everyone

Thailand Post started distributing copies of the draft constitution yesterday to almost 20 million families nationwide, as part of plans to publicise the public referendum on the new charter.Published on July 13, 2007

I have been a bit busy these last few weeks, and so have not had much time to keep up with the news, but one thing which has been puzzling me on reading the above quote is this:

On or around the 13th July they Distributed (disseminated) copies of the proposed Constitution.

Mosha has already confirmed that his wife has received a copy. (17th July) which confirms that dissemination has taken place.

The 2006 Interim Constitution clearly states:

Article 29

Upon the completion of the Draft Constitution, it shall be disseminated as information to the general public, and a referendum on whetherto approve or disapprove the entire Draft Constitution shall be held after fifteen days but not more than thirty days as from the date of dissemination

They are planning to hold the referendum on the 19th August.

This is clearly greater than the 30 day maximum the Constitution allows, which considering the topic of the referendum.....

Must be the dam_n junta! Trying to prolong their grip on power an extra 5 days. Or maybe its not the date they start the dissemination, but the date they finish? Either way, we are talking about 5 days at most.

What I was questioning was the Constitutional legality of the up-coming referendum.

When Meechai Ruchuphan drafted the Interim Constitution he clearly laid down a framework for the draft Constitution from the appointment of the Constitutional Drafting Assembly, to the legal requirements of the Junta when the referendum results are posted, and what would be the legal procedure should the CDA or CDC not finish the drafting process within the legal timeframe. (They did, although an ammendment was made by the NLA to the Constitution increasing the 180 day timeframe, although to the best of my knowledge this was never promulgated as the time frame was met), he also clearly stated the legal process should the CDA decide to reject the draft Constitution. (They didn't)

Looking at the CDA website, which outlines the timeframe for the referendum, it shows that the 15 - 30 day timeframe as stipulated in the 2006 Constition starts from:

Publication of Draft Constitution for dissemination

Whilst it might be only 5 days, it would clearly give an opponent of the draft Constitution the legal and constitutional right to question the validity of the referendum to the Constitutional tribunal...

[Mid]

EC says result of public referendum will be known by 9 pm

July 19, 2007 : Last updated 05:56 pm

The Election Commission will be able to announce an official result of the public referendum on the new draft constitution by 9 pm on the referendum day on August 19.

Praphan Naikowit, an EC commissioner, said the official result would be announced at 4 pm on the following day.

The Nation

[Jai Dee]

PM instructs officials to remove public referendum stickers containing errors

The Prime Minister, Gen. Surayud Chulanont (สุรยุทธ์ จุลานนท์), has instructed local officials to remove a number of the 2007 constitution referendum campaign stickers containing errors in their messages.

The Prime Minister's Office Spokesman, Army Captain Yongyuth Mayalarp (ยงยุทธ มัยลาภ), reports that Prime Minister Surayud has instructed officials to remove stickers campaigning for public participation in the August 19th referendum due to serious errors in their campaign messages. Army Captain Yongyuth reveals that the campaign stickers have not received authorization from the Prime Minister's Office.

Government officials fear the errors may create misunderstandings among members of the public, and therefore, a nationwide operation is underway to remove the messages from public view.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 July 2007

[Jai Dee]

PM assures British Ambassador general election will be held this December

The Prime Minister, Gen. Surayud Chulanont (สุรยุทธ์ จุลานนท์), insists that Thailand will hold the general election on December this year and the new government should be on duty in January next year.

The Government Spokesman, Army Captain Yongyuth Mayalarp (ยงยุทธ มัยลาภ), says Prime Minister Surayud and and the British Ambassador to Thailand, Mr. David Fall, had a meeting yesterday (Jul 19). Gen. Surayud told Mr. Fall that Thailand will hold the general election on December 16th or December 23rd, 2007, and the newly elected administration will govern the country in January next year. The meeting did not touched on deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's (ทักษิณ ชินวัตร) cases.

Mr. Fall questioned the Prime Minister about the southern unrest, and Gen. Surayud responded that the interim government is using the reconciliation policy to adress this problem while the administrative units are looking after education and employment.

In addition, they discussed issues related to global warming and bilateral cooperation against terrorism.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 July 2007

[chownah]

Looking at the CDA website, which outlines the timeframe for the referendum, it shows that the 15 - 30 day timeframe as stipulated in the 2006 Constition starts from:

Publication of Draft Constitution for dissemination

Whilst it might be only 5 days, it would clearly give an opponent of the draft Constitution the legal and constitutional right to question the validity of the referendum to the Constitutional tribunal...

Yes indeed!!! and if someone challenged the referendum process who would benefit? one result of a challenge to the referendum process would be that the interim gov't would conintue on and the military dictators now in power would retain power.....for a lot more than 5 days....depending on how long the "judicial" process takes it could be months.

On the otherhand this scenerio could be avoided simply by the interim gov't declaring the official date of the official publication for dissemination.

[Mid]

PM instructs officials to remove public referendum stickers containing errors

[Jai Dee]

Democrat Party leader believes government campaign to promote public participation in constitution drafting is necessary

The Democrat Party leader believes that campaigns to promote public participation in the constitution drafting process are beneficial to the nation.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva (อภิสิทธิ์ เวชชาชีวะ ) said that the government's public relation campaigns to encourage participation in the constitution drafting process would allow citizens to help resolve the nation's political crisis. Mr. Abhisit said that participation both by supporters and opposers of the 2007 constitution will create awareness of the importance of the upcoming public referendum.

The Democrat Party leader cautioned, however, that civil servants should not influence public decisions by posting campaign stickers. Mr. Abhisit voiced his belief that the National Legislative Assembly's decision to revise the Council for Democratic Reform's 15th Declaration will allow Thailand's political scene to be clear and progressive. He added that political parties should not fear the upcoming elections as they will be fair and transparent.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 July 2007