The first referendum on a new constitution for Thailand is expected to be held during the first quarter of next year, after the formation of a 35-member ad hoc panel tasked with studying how the Constitution should be amended or rewritten and how many referenda will be needed, said Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai today (Tuesday).

 

Phumtham, who was tasked with recruiting knowledgeable people from various disciplines to form the panel, said that he has scheduled the first meeting, to be chaired by himself, on October 10th.

 

He said that he has tried to bring all stakeholder voices onto the panel, including academics, student representatives, members of the business and agricultural sectors, the mass media and the opposition, among others, adding that the Move Forward party is yet to confirm whether it wants to join.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2023-10-03

 

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A tedious  start to a process intended to avoid any fundamental change in protections for a select few ?

Expect the dodgiest questions. Just like the last one. The wording of the referendum should go to a referendum. It would be rejected.

A constitution is supposed to be a bedrock document for how a country operates.

 

The idea of a constitution loses all meaning if, like Thailand, you change the constitution more often than most people change their mobile phone.

4 minutes ago, Eleftheros said:

A constitution is supposed to be a bedrock document for how a country operates.

 

The idea of a constitution loses all meaning if, like Thailand, you change the constitution more often than most people change their mobile phone.

Yes, which means that - mostly - it should set out broad principles, not the masses of itsy-bitsy detail that encumber the current document and render it practically incomprehensible (which no doubt suits those who use it to trip up anyone they disagree with on any subject at all).

Double the number of senate seats and make them lifetime appointments should shore up the constitution.

Until the Dinosaurs disappear after a new ice age... nothing to do here.

If they were even slightly sincere, they would copy the same process that produced the 1997 constitution.

 

If they were 100% sincere, they would simply reinstate the 1997 constitution in its original form with two minor changes:

 

1. Remove section 112 in its entirety

 

2. Add a section imposing life in prison for any involvement in coups or attempted coups

It is doubtful that the wording of every line of the Constitution will be changed. Similar to other Constitutions, there will be amendments that will become part of the new Constitution. I believe, for instance, that MF asked for 112 to be amended, not stripped out.

20 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The first referendum on a new constitution for Thailand is expected to be held during the first quarter of next year,

The first referendum is for the people to decide if they want the charter to be rewritten and that should be a fairly straightforward Parliamentary process. The second referendum will be held after the drafting the amendments which may take a much longer time. The 2017 charter took 9 months to design a new charter and subsequently rejected which led to a appointment of a new committee and further delay.  

One of the main issue is the Senate, its role, and most of all how it is selected.

- 1997: elected

- 2007: half elected, half appointed by the yellow-green establishment,

- 2017: 100% appointed by the yellow-green establishment,

- 2024?

 

It is highly critical for the establishment. It has already lost most of its popular support, so if it loses the ability to control the Senate, It would be a major loss of political power.

 

Not to mention that, as the Senate is involved in the selection of agency members an judges,  it may also progressively lose its grip on them too.

 

They will fight like hell to keep some power.