NEW CONSTITUTION

Charter 'to be ready in 1-2 years'

The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- Varathep says constitution could be rewritten promptly, if it gets nod from public

Thailand could have a new constitution in less than two years if the amendment process goes as planned, according to a minister who is part of a working group appointed by the Cabinet to study relevant laws for holding a public referendum on charter changes.

PM's Office Minister Varathep Ratanakorn said: "Between a little over one year to no more than two years, we will certainly see a new constitution."

His remark came as the opposition Democrat Party was campaigning against writing an entirely new constitution, which they described as an attempt to help former premier Thaksin Shinawatra out of legal problems in many corruption cases filed against him after the coup of 2006.

Thaksin's government was ousted in the coup led by then-Army chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin.

Varathep said his working group would spend one month studying relevant laws and the process of holding a plebiscite. Another four months would be spent on holding the referendum.

Then, he said, Parliament would vote to pass the constitutional amendment bill in a third reading, which has been suspended due to a legal battle between proponents and opponents of the rewrite.

Varathep expected the election of Constitution Drafting Council members to be completed within 120 days, and the CDA to write a new constitution within 240 days.

His remark was made during yesterday's weekly programme "Yingluck Government Meets the People", which is broadcast every Saturday via state media.

He said voters in the referendum were likely to be asked whether changes should be made to the entire constitution.

Varathep's working group is chaired by Justice Minister Pracha Promnok. It also includes Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan, Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana, and Atchaporn Charuchinda, secretary-general of the Council of State, which is the government's legal advisory agency.

Pracha said in the show that the government would campaign to "create a good understanding that the constitutional amendment is not aimed at benefiting any person in particular".

He expected the working group to complete its work in January.

Other figures from the ruling Pheu Thai Party yesterday called on the Democrats not to campaign for no-show of eligible voters at the referendum.

Some Democrat figures asked supporters not to vote, in order to make the turnout less than half of eligible voters, which will cause the referendum to be ineffective in accordance with the Constitution.

Pheu Thai spokeswoman Sunisa Lertpakawat said Democrats should "move past" Thaksin and stop acting as a drag on national progress, particularly over changes to the post-coup constitution, which she blamed for political conflict over the past five years.

But Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva warned yesterday that amending the charter with the goal of "helping the convicted man with his legal cases" would lead to more conflict. He said the government should review its stance on the matter.

"The government should instead focus on other problems."

-- The Nation 2012-12-13

This whole charter "rewriting" of the constitution is preposterous. Just hold the national referendum and let the people vote. One man one vote. That's it - Yes, let him go free, no, convict him and issue warrants - case closed. That would be the end of it and the paralysis.

It wouldn't be the first time a a wealthy Thai was "excused" from charges.

"Move past Thaksin"?

Coming from PTP?

A laugh a minute!

Does that man look like he just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, ....or what?

The whole 'charter rewrite' thing is such a sham. Anyone who is paying any notice and can't see it's totally ploy to get the Great Scoundrel back to Thailand, has got to get their cylinders reamed.

A party beholden to T gets in the power seats. What good have they done for the Thai people? Nothing. Instead, they've spent all their calories trying to get T back, without him having to face justice. If Shakespeare wrote a play about it, it would be dismissed as too outlandish. PT/Reds gave the Scoundrel his passport. They won't follow up on Royal orders to strip T of his royal accolades. PT/Reds threaten the courts when they don't rule in their favor, yet pretend to follow laws when they can manipulate then to their political advantage. PT/Yingluck and the Reds have absolutely nothing to help the environment or the really poor/neglected people of Thailand. They have zero energy policy. They don't know anything about alternative power or energy conservation. They would rather spend years hassling about a Constitution that doesn't need mending, than do anything that might remotely help regular Thai people.

Don't think this guy talked to chalerm who is now saying not to have a referendum.

I really can't see Thaksin approving of a plan that will make him wait two years to come back. Not that I think he will it is just a face saving issue with him. I am fairly sure he thinks there is a bullet with his name on it here in Thailand,

Pheu Thai spokeswoman Sunisa Lertpakawat said Democrats should "move past" Thaksin

Is that 'Thaksin thinks, Pheu Thai acts' spokeswoman the lady who went off to find k. Thaksin and wrote the book "Thaksin, where art thou" ?

This whole charter "rewriting" of the constitution is preposterous. Just hold the national referendum and let the people vote. One man one vote. That's it - Yes, let him go free, no, convict him and issue warrants - case closed. That would be the end of it and the paralysis.

Trial by popularity... hmmm... why not just do away with the courts and be done with it?

Asking the public,... Making the charter as complicated as it gets to understand, taking advantage of the uneducated public, is already an indirect face saving, AGREEMENT with the Pheu Thai...

This whole charter "rewriting" of the constitution is preposterous. Just hold the national referendum and let the people vote. One man one vote. That's it - Yes, let him go free, no, convict him and issue warrants - case closed. That would be the end of it and the paralysis.

It wouldn't be the first time a a wealthy Thai was "excused" from charges.

A constitution is a document setting out a legal framework for the conduct of a country's citizen's, not a 'get out of jail card'.

The problem for the reds is to disguise one in favour of the other ie writing a constitution explicitly in favour of Thaksin while explicitly claiming otherwise.

Its all about Thaksin though the forum red cheerleaders will have you believe otherwise.

Write the next charter in English, as Thais might better understand it. Writing it in Thai necessitates no spaces between words. No capital letters to denote proper names. I spoke with a 7 yr. old boy who had been only in Thai public schools, and had only studied English fleetingly. I asked him what was easier to learn to spell, Thai or English. Without missing a beat, he said 'English.'

If the election, among Thais, were held only for those who had read the earlier draft and those who had read the replacement draft, the number of eligible voters would be one or two dozen at most.

99.9% of whomever Thais vote for the Charter amendment are doing so only because someone told (and/or paid) them to. That 'someone' is probably a person who told them they would get more money by doing so. Money is the #1 motivator for Thais.

Write the next charter in English, as Thais might better understand it. Writing it in Thai necessitates no spaces between words. No capital letters to denote proper names. I spoke with a 7 yr. old boy who had been only in Thai public schools, and had only studied English fleetingly. I asked him what was easier to learn to spell, Thai or English. Without missing a beat, he said 'English.'

If the election, among Thais, were held only for those who had read the earlier draft and those who had read the replacement draft, the number of eligible voters would be one or two dozen at most.

99.9% of whomever Thais vote for the Charter amendment are doing so only because someone told (and/or paid) them to. That 'someone' is probably a person who told them they would get more money by doing so. Money is the #1 motivator for Thais.

99.9% ,plucking numbers out the sky.

Out of touch much?

Write the next charter in English, as Thais might better understand it. Writing it in Thai necessitates no spaces between words. No capital letters to denote proper names. I spoke with a 7 yr. old boy who had been only in Thai public schools, and had only studied English fleetingly. I asked him what was easier to learn to spell, Thai or English. Without missing a beat, he said 'English.'

If the election, among Thais, were held only for those who had read the earlier draft and those who had read the replacement draft, the number of eligible voters would be one or two dozen at most.

99.9% of whomever Thais vote for the Charter amendment are doing so only because someone told (and/or paid) them to. That 'someone' is probably a person who told them they would get more money by doing so. Money is the #1 motivator for Thais.

99.9% ,plucking numbers out the sky.

Out of touch much?

What's your guess ......99.8%? ......100%? The point is, very few, if any regular Thais have read even the pertinent parts of their Constitution. They will vote the way they're told/paid to vote. If they prove me wrong, great. I'll be dancing down main street waving a Thai flag.

No need to read it, just follow the money and all will be well, according to some.

This whole charter "rewriting" of the constitution is preposterous. Just hold the national

referendum and let the people vote. One man one vote. That's it - Yes, let him go free, no, convict him and issue warrants - case closed. That would be the end of it and the paralysis.

Trial by popularity... hmmm... why not just do away with the courts and be done with it?

I think that is an actual red shirt aim.