Plan For Thai Charter Hearings Unveiled

[webfact]

Plan for charter hearings unveiled

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan yesterday outlined the government's road map for holding a referendum preceding the third and final reading of the charter-amendment bill.

The Cabinet is expected to debate and approve the road map tomorrow, Charupong said.

"The referendum, to be held as per the verdict of the Constitution Court, is the best option for defusing the conflict over the rewriting of the Constitution," he said.

Under charter provisions and organic laws on referendums, the government is obliged to conduct a series of public hearings involving more than 50,000 people to gather views on the need for a referendum before seeking the consent of the speakers of the House and Senate to hold the vote, the minister said.

To comply with these provisions, the government will concurrently organise two public forums, comprising dialogues and hearings, from February to April, paving the way for the referendum, he said.

For the dialogues, seen by some as a publicity blitz to justify charter change, the government will follow the format suggested by the King Prachadipok's Institute and the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand, Charupong said.

The government-sponsored dialogues will cover three topics on how to overcome the political divide, involving all 400 electoral constituencies. Each venue will comprise four constituencies and some 800 to 1,000 participants are expected per venue. The country will see a total of 108 venues and the dialogues will be held in February and March, involving some 75,000 people.

Panellists for each venue will comprise 10 to 20 academics, including those from Chulalongkorn, Thammasat and Ramkhamhaeng universities. Suan Dusit Poll will be tasked with conducting opinion surveys at each venue.

The outcome of the dialogues will be compiled in an Interior Ministry report to be presented to the Cabinet.

Coinciding with the dialogues, the government will task the Election Commission with holding a series of public hearings within 90 to 120 days before the referendum.

The tentative dates for the public hearings should fall between March 12 and April 12. The referendum will take place upon the conclusion of the two forums.

The Interior minister said it would be up to the EC to frame the question posed in the referendum.

He said, however, that the fate of the bill would hinge on the final vote by Parliament.

Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said the ruling party would convene a meeting on December 25 to explain to MPs the steps leading to the referendum.

Chief opposition whip Jurin Laksanavisit said the opposition would wait to see how the government plans the referendum before deciding its next move.

Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, meanwhile, in an open letter on his Facebook page, said the public should jointly overcome the political obstacle posed by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's need to stay above the law. This has blocked the country from moving forward, he said.

"Therefore I would like to call on the public to jointly reject the public referendum that Thaksin's sister [Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra] is planning," he wrote.

-- The Nation 2012-12-17

[noitom]

Everyone will be consulted, feedback will be compiled, reports will be made, information from the people will be used to create another new charter. Thailand will be at peace. Everyone will be pleased, the nation will prosper. Dental work will be provided for those 40 million toothless Thais.

[scorecard]

Everyone will be consulted, feedback will be compiled, reports will be made, information from the people will be used to create another new charter. Thailand will be at peace. Everyone will be pleased, the nation will prosper. Dental work will be provided for those 40 million toothless Thais.

Or in different words, another smokescreen will be created.

[Chupup]

Time to wake up People of Thailand, this is just another ploy to get the paymaster back to Thailand and eventualy as PRIME MINISTER if you fall for this you will live to regret it