Thai Charter Rewriters Must Be Elected: Weng

[webfact]

Charter rewriters must be elected: Weng

The Nation

Pheu Thai MP Weng Tojirakarn proposed yesterday that the 100 charter rewriters should be elected by the public so as to conform to a democratic system

Weng also threatened to mobilise red shirts to campaign for 50,000 signatures to sponsor a motion on the charter rewrite if the government failed to spearhead it.

"The Pheu Thai Party and red shirts agree that Article 291 of the Constitution should be amended to pave the way for the formation of a Constitution Drafting Assembly," or CDA, he said.

Weng said the red shirts wanted the CDA to take charge of overhauling the charter and advancing democracy.

Although the past CDA models included elected and appointed writers, the 2007 Constitution should only be rewritten by those who are elected by the people, he said, adding that appointed writers might be sympathetic to dictatorship.

If the CDA comprises 100 writers, then one writer could represent 400,000 voters, he said. Hence, under this quota, Bangkok could elect 20 members of the team.

Weng said that though he wanted the government to take the lead on amending the charter, he could activate the signature campaign within two weeks to sponsor a motion on the issue.

He said he would notify Parlia-ment tomorrow of his intent to launch a signature campaign if necessary. Weng added that he expected Parliament to debate and combine three draft amendments by |next month before the CDA is formed. The three drafts, endorsed by the main coalition party and red shirts, would be the basis for CDA's work.

As for the future Senate, former charter writer Seri Suwanphanont said speculation about dissolving the upper chamber was the rehash of an old debate.

In the latest round of debate to draft the 2007 Constitution, charter writers heard the pros and cons of a Senate before deciding whether to retain the upper chamber, he said.

He argued that as a non-partisan body, the Senate was part of the mechanism to check runaway power.

-- The Nation 2011-12-29

[TAWP]

How on earth do the propose this election will take form?

Sounds like he is talking on a per region basis, same as MPs - which we clearly have seen is the furthest away from guaranteeing good or upstanding citizens to be involved in anything.

[otherstuff1957]

For those of you who are wondering what Article 291 is:

CHAPTER XV

Amendment of the Constitution

Section 291. An amendment of the Constitution may be made only under the rules and procedure as follows:

(1) a motion for amendment must be proposed either by the Council of Ministers or members of the House of Representatives of not less than one-fifth of the total number of the existing members of the House of Representatives or members of both Houses of not less than one-fifth of the total number of the existing members thereof or persons having the right to votes of not less than fifty thousand in number under the law on the public submission of a bill;

A motion for amendment which has the effect of changing the democratic regime of government with the King as Head of State or changing the form of State shall be prohibited;

(2) a motion for amendment must be proposed in the form of a draft Constitution Amendment and the National Assembly shall consider it in three readings;

(3) the voting in the first reading for acceptance in principle shall be by roll call and open voting, and the amendment must be approved by votes of not less than one-half of the total number of the existing members of both Houses;

(4) in the consideration section by section in the second reading, consultation with the people who submit a draft Constitution Amendment shall be held;

The voting in the second reading for consideration section by section shall be decided by a simple majority of votes;

(5) at the conclusion of the second reading, there shall be an interval of fifteen days after which the National Assembly shall proceed with its third reading;

(6) the voting in the third and final reading shall be by roll call and open voting, and its promulgation as the Constitution must be approved by votes of more than one-half of the total number of the existing members of both Houses;

(7) after the resolution has been passed in accordance with the above rules and procedure, the draft Constitution Amendment shall be presented to the King, and the provisions of section 150 and section 151 shall apply mutatis mutandis.