Changes To Constitution 'unlikely'

[george]

Changes to constitution 'unlikely'

BANGKOK: -- Calls for constitutional amendments will gain momentum in 2006, but are unlikely to materialise, political analysts say. There will be no changes to the constitution under the Thai Rak Thai administration which benefits from the provisions of the current charter, said Sombat Thamronthanyawong, of the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida).

Demand for charter amendments and political reforms were growing as the public starts to feel the pinch of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's overwhelming executive powers, he said.

''The campaign for changes, especially by academics, will continue, but it won't reach the point where the government feels the need to cave in,'' he said.

''Dissatisfaction and distrust are coming from a certain group of middle-class people, but they are powerless to pressure any government which has the upper hand.''

Sondhi Limthongkul's campaign against the government was just an interesting phenomenon, Mr Sombat said. The Thailand Weekly forum, Muang Thai Rai Sapda, hosted by the media firebrand attracted tens of thousands of people, but was unlikely to make an impact unless there was substantial evidence of the corruption he alludes to.

Mr Sombat said a proposal by some politicians to amend the 90-day rule would not improve politics. Election candidates must be members of their political party for at least 90 days prior to a poll. Proponents of scrapping the rule say it would liberate politicians from the power of a party leader.

He said the provision was there to prevent politicians from defecting to other parties at will. He asked if those pushing for change were acting in the best interests of politics or just to get bargaining power. ''Liberation here could simply mean liberation from the state of their powerlessness,'' he said.

Senator Nirand Pitakwatchara said several factors were fuelling the calls for political reform, including the government's dominance of independent agencies, privatisation of state enterprises and political interference in Senate elections.

However, he did not believe the ''signals'' were strong enough to force the government to undertake political reform.

The chair of the House committee on political development, Democrat MP Nakhon Machim, said the second round of political reform was still a far cry from reality.

''The people's participation in politics is minimal compared with those who are locked into the patronage system,'' he said.

Government chief whip Pongthep Thepkanchana admitted the government was not keen on making changes.

Mr Pongthep and Thai Rak Thai chief adviser Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh both have the attitude ''if it's not broken, don't fix it''. They argue that the current constitution is the best yet and should not be meddled with.

--Bangkok Post 2006-01-02