Referendum proposed on setting up Thai people's council

[Ulic]

Both sides are equally corrupt, but the Thaksin regime cuts the farmers in for a slice so to ensure there election.

[smedly]

Amending formula for Constitutions are worthless.... those that have the power will tear it up when it suits them.

not true, if it is done correctly it will be solid and abuse free, the key is what I've been saying for months - no party can change the constitution without a 2/3 majority in the house, what that does is protect the constitution from abuse , it takes all the crap that PTP have been trying to do the last two years completely off the table because they would have to include the opposition to approve such changes or put it to the people with a referendum - how efing simple is that - none of this crap would be going on right now if it had been the case, I honestly can't understand what else there is to talk about - this single change would put Thailand on a political path that they have so far failed to ever find - Thaksin would either have to face his day in court or stay on the run - no other options would be available unless he was going to buy the whole opposition party, it has to happen

one thing is for sure and someone please tell me I'm wrong - up to now democracy doesn't work here so something has got to change - history doesn't lie

The first thought is that nothing else works here like a western democracy because it is not a western democracy, never has been and never will be while dictators are trying to take it down their path. So agree that the place can stay like it is and keep on sliding further into the cess pot of corruption and economic ruin that it is headed or apply a hard democratic control like a two thirds majority to a constitution that has been set by a peoples constitution from referendum. Problem is none of the corrupt political trough feeders that pass themselves of as governments in Thailand are going to allow that to happen on their watch. Hence it will ever only fall to the Army to enforce it so it ain't going to happen until the lot of them go at it in full force again. Next time the Army steps in they should apply a wider, swifter and more targeted control.

the 2/3 majority would only apply to charter and constitutional changes - this is actually quite normal and should always be in place in any democracy or a similar process - yes I suppose you could apply it to all house voting but that is not what I am suggesting

if you do a little research and see how hard it is to make constitutional amendments in Australia or the USA for e.g.

[tomacht8]

Overall, here the democratic system suffers.
No transparency, loophole regulations, inadequate control- and sanction mechanism.

These systemic deficits make corruption possible.

For example lack of transparency. If all people really know what happened with there money, guess also the reds where on the street.

Lets say an old lonely woman suffering starvation upcountry and can no longer feed her self.

So the government takes 10.000 Baht from the household budget and put the money in an envelope.
The old woman gets the envelope and there is than 3.000 Baht inside.

The old woman is happy and I am sure she will vote for that group who helped her so generously.
About the 7.000 Baht missing she do not know. How could she?

System error + unethical people = corruption

If the system would be better, then it would be much harder for unethical people to cheat.

[rubl]

So the chairman of the government's Dependent National Rule of Law Commission proposed to have a referendum on the "people's council" which the government already ruled out as 'unconstitutional'?

Doesn't that mean he's urging the government to act unconstitutionally? Strange

Stop being so transparent rubl. The title is "chairman of the Independent National Rule of Law Commission". Which rules the rest of your statement as pointless, not for the first time.

By the way, are you getting any further to explaining what a "Peoples Council" is let alone how it fits into the constitution, seeing as you are one of its fondest patrons, it appears?

Even were the gentleman and his commission independent, with the just-stepped-down government ruling the 'people council' unconstitutional, we have here yet another person urging a referendum on something unconstitutional.

BTW I have not written a single post here defending or urging for a "people's council". No need to even suggest that.