House Speaker Sees New Constitution Of Thailand In 2012

[webfact]

House speaker sees new constitution in 2012

By The Nation

A national referendum on a new Constitution is expected in early 2013, House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont said yesterday.

The Constitution drafting process will be independent from the government and the Cabinet, he said.

The process will start next year with the amendment of Article 291 of the current charter to allow the establishment of a Constitution drafting council, he said.

The council will be made up of 99 members, 77 of them elected from 77 provinces while the other 22 will come from a selection process, he said.

Somsak said political problems in Thailand were caused by the undemocratic structure of the laws and the 2007 Constitution. As long as Article 309 - the provisional article keeping the military coup and its aftermath's actions legal - persists, the country cannot be democratic.

Asked whether banned politicians would get amnesty under the new charter, Somsak said that depended on the people's decision.

House dissolution might take place if it were the people's desire, he said.

-- The Nation 2011-09-03

[zydeco]

And what is next? The formation of "People's Militias"? Arming them with assault weapons, rpgs, and anti-tank rockets? All to protect "democracy"?

[Bakseedaa]

And what will be the selection process of those 22 peoples...or will they just be Red Shirts..? This I must see....

[hammered]

And what will be the selection process of those 22 peoples...or will they just be Red Shirts..? This I must see....

I take it that you are as critical of the selection of half the senate which is reportedly made by a few people in a smoke filled room

But to be honest if it is put to the people then they will have the say and that is the correct thing to do. The constitution is the rules and agreements by which people allow themselves to be governed and through which laws that can restrict them are made. It is only right that a constitution should be drafted during a time of democracy under a democratic government and people should have a say. On that PTP are totally correct. People may not agree with their motives or what they want in a constitution but on the method there position is unassailable. The last constitution was put to the people but it was written by a group chosen by an unelected body and put to the people as accept this one or we will chose any previous one we want. Any true democrat would want that changed

[AbdulJabaar01]

Thai's will never learn from their mistakes or errors. That is why they are stuck in the constant circle of never ending chaos.

[hkt83100]

Thai's will never learn from their mistakes or errors.

This would mean, they acknowledge having made mistakes and errors and would be a great loss of face. So better don't hold your breath...

[kraplung]

Excuse me, but didn't the people already vote for the current constitution?

[12DrinkMore]

Anybody surprised?

We've had 17 constitutions since 1932 or so.

They just don't seem to get it right, do they?

[whybother]

As long as it isn't just a simple move back to the 1997 constitution, I don't think it's a bad thing.

[hammered]

As long as it isn't just a simple move back to the 1997 constitution, I don't think it's a bad thing.

Agree with that

[h90]

As long as it isn't just a simple move back to the 1997 constitution, I don't think it's a bad thing.

I doubt they'll make a constitution which is better than the 2006.

This is actuall the hardest on corruption Thailand ever had.

Even it is not without failures it isn't that bad.

[h90]

Excuse me, but didn't the people already vote for the current constitution?

And the reds call the 1997 constitution "the peoples constitution" even there was no vote....

Facts are just confusing.....

[Pib]

Yea, Thailand is long overdue a new constitution...I mean the current one is a couple of years old already....the ink has probably all faded away....yes, yes, time for a new one!!!

[lannarebirth]

As long as it isn't just a simple move back to the 1997 constitution, I don't think it's a bad thing.

Agree with that

I don't think they really want to go back to the 1997 constitution. They just want to reapeal that act in the current constitution that gives amnesty to the coup makers. That puts them and Thaksin on an even playing field and he assumes, probably rightly, that they will accede to a grand amnesty for all.

[Buchholz]

And what will be the selection process of those 22 peoples...or will they just be Red Shirts..? This I must see....

I take it that you are as critical of the selection of half the senate which is reportedly made by a few people in a smoke filled room

But to be honest if it is put to the people then they will have the say and that is the correct thing to do. The constitution is the rules and agreements by which people allow themselves to be governed and through which laws that can restrict them are made. It is only right that a constitution should be drafted during a time of democracy under a democratic government and people should have a say. On that PTP are totally correct. People may not agree with their motives or what they want in a constitution but on the method there position is unassailable. The last constitution was put to the people but it was written by a group chosen by an unelected body and put to the people as accept this one or we will chose any previous one we want. Any true democrat would want that changed

As the 2007 constitution was essentially the same as the 1997 (something like 85% of it is word for word same), why the need to rewrite the whole thing.

If the Red Shirts, err I mean the PTP government, have a problem with a specific change, why not address each and every one of those specific articles and amend them? There's no need for a completely new constitution... unless, they want to hide their changes.

All we hear is rewrite the whole constitution. Instead, they should clearly specify which particular article they disagree with, and why, and propose their amendments.

Rewriting the whole thing will enable them to make wholesale changes to it, including changes to 1997 articles that everyone previously were in general agreement with, with the populace being unaware of the changes being made to it, eg. as evidenced by how few people read the 2007 constitution before it was put to a vote.

.

Edited September 3, 2011 by Buchholz

[Gonsalviz]

What they really need to do is concentrate on a 12 year education. But no faction in Thai government is interested in that as it would put their corrupt practices out of business.:jap:

[Buchholz]

What they really need to do is concentrate on a 12 year education. But no faction in Thai government is interested in that as it would put their corrupt practices out of business.:jap:

For this government, education pales in comparison to the importance of amending the constitution and absolving those who have committed crimes.

.

[Tanaka]

Excuse me, but didn't the people already vote for the current constitution?

But they were not informed on how to vote correctly.

[Tanaka]

And what will be the selection process of those 22 peoples...or will they just be Red Shirts..? This I must see....

I take it that you are as critical of the selection of half the senate which is reportedly made by a few people in a smoke filled room

But to be honest if it is put to the people then they will have the say and that is the correct thing to do. The constitution is the rules and agreements by which people allow themselves to be governed and through which laws that can restrict them are made. It is only right that a constitution should be drafted during a time of democracy under a democratic government and people should have a say. On that PTP are totally correct. People may not agree with their motives or what they want in a constitution but on the method there position is unassailable. The last constitution was put to the people but it was written by a group chosen by an unelected body and put to the people as accept this one or we will chose any previous one we want. Any true democrat would want that changed

As the 2007 constitution was essentially the same as the 1997 (something like 85% of it is word for word same), why the need to rewrite the whole thing.

If the Red Shirts, err I mean the PTP government, have a problem with a specific change, why not address each and every one of those specific articles and amend them? There's no need for a completely new constitution... unless, they want to hide their changes.

All we hear is rewrite the whole constitution. Instead, they should clearly specify which particular article they disagree with, and why, and propose their amendments.

Rewriting the whole thing will enable them to make wholesale changes to it, including changes to 1997 articles that everyone previously were in general agreement with, with the populace being unaware of the changes being made to it, eg. as evidenced by how few people read the 2007 constitution before it was put to a vote.

.

And it would be a constitution no country has seen before.

[moe666]

Thailand the land of new constitution every time a new party is elected.

[Siam Simon]

Excuse me, but didn't the people already vote for the current constitution?

But they were not informed on how to vote correctly.

But they were. It was: Either vote for the latest constitution or the mandate won't be returned to the people anytime soon. Some choice.

[Siam Simon]

Thailand the land of new constitution every time a new party is elected.

Thailand is the land of new constitution every time one of the two sides battling for supremacy gains sufficient upper hand.

[whybother]

Deputy Minister: Charter Change to Begin Next Year

A deputy prime minister who is concurrently serving as the interior minister has reaffirmed the move to amend the Constitution, since his party made this promise during its election campaign.

The amendment process is expected to begin next year.

Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit said that though the constitutional amendment is not an urgent issue, the Pheu Thai Party will push ahead with forming a constitution drafting committee as promised during the recent election campaign.

He insisted that the proposed amendment is in the best interest of the nation and does not favor any particular individual.

Yongyuth said the public would be able to participate in the amendment process and will actually be encouraged to do so as much as possible.

Suggestions from every sector of the society are being welcomed.

The deputy prime minister further stated that the 1997 and 2007 Constitutions will be used as a basis for this amendment, since it would be difficult to write a completely new one.

He is personally of the opinion that the process must be conducted at an appropriate time, ensure public participation, and that a public referendum must be held.

He stressed that the revised Constitution must truly be democratic.

Meanwhile, the Pheu Thai Party Spokesman Phromphong Nopparit said the amendment process is expected to begin next year as the government is currently addressing economic problems.

He added that his party will discuss the issue internally before proposing it to the government.

An independent committee will be set up to propose the draft amendment to avert any criticism that could come from the fact that it was the government that proposed it.

-- Tan Network 2011-09-05

So, they pick and choose which "promises" they need to keep and which ones are just "campaign promises".