CDC spokesperson hints at referendum after Thai Constitution drafted

[webfact]

CDC spokesperson hints at referendum after Constitution drafted
By Digital Content

BANGKOK, Nov 6 -- Thailand's Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) will study 19 old Constitutions and may ask the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NPOC) to hold a referendum if the new Constitution draft triggers different responses.

Committee spokesman Gen Lertrat Ratanawanit made his remarks today before attending the first CDC meeting at Parliament.

He said if the Constitution draft drew different responses or opposition, the Committee might ask the National Council for Peace and Order to hold a referendum.

Gen Lertrat said the committee was to select members for particular tasks and form three sub-committees that would sound out public opinion in the field.

He commented that the 1997 Constitution gave too much power to the government and the 2007 constitution cut the power so much that the government was unstable and faced problems from political rallies.

The general said the CDC would find a balance in drafting the new Constitution.

He said that the three sub-committees would spend 1-2 months gathering public opinion and then discuss details of the Constitutional drafting with representatives of political parties. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-11-06

[JOC]

How do you find the new constitution??

1. Very good

2. Very good

3. Very good

4. All of the above

[Thailand]

Go the Full Monty and just make it an election. Cheaper in the long run.

[worgeordie]

The last constitution where they had a referendum ,that the

people voted yes for,but the politicians did not like it as it curtailed

their powers did not last long,wonder how this one will go down?,

Thailand the Hub of constitutions,must be near the top,the number

they have had.

regards Worgeordie

[blaze]

Bring in the Clowns

the 2007 cut the power too much.

That was the best they could have done short of saying no voice to the people- and this will be more stringent?

We can be prepared for a constitution that permits the army to 'intervene' when 'needed'--a second house appointed by the amart- and a gurantee to the establishment that Thaiand is a democracy in name only-- with the hidden promise that elected governments have no power at all.

clownocracy's tend to be short lived.;

a fast pie in the face-- and the joke is over--

Sometimes jokes end up in a mess...

Edited November 6, 2014 by blaze

[djjamie]

When there is no referendum the Junta are criticized.

When there is a hint of a referendum the Junta are criticized.

Might be time for some to join the reconciliation bandwagon for the good of the country.

The sad thing is though that just like the 2007 constitutional referendum that the majority wanted the result will be denounced because it does not suit a certain agenda.

That my friends will also extend to the next election if / when the PTP don't win. The result will not be recognized by the PTP and the election will be deemed rigged by the Junta.

That is the mindset of a PTP supporter.

BUT….there was never corruption in the rice scheme!!!

Edited November 6, 2014 by djjamie

[tbthailand]

Bring in the Clowns

the 2007 cut the power too much.

That was the best they could have done short of saying no voice to the people- and this will be more stringent?

We can be prepared for a constitution that permits the army to 'intervene' when 'needed'--a second house appointed by the amart- and a gurantee to the establishment that Thaiand is a democracy in name only-- with the hidden promise that elected governments have no power at all.

clownocracy's tend to be short lived.;

a fast pie in the face-- and the joke is over--

Sometimes jokes end up in a mess...

It is rather amusing to hear a dyed-in-the-wool yellow elitist claim that they want to find 'middle ground' between the 97 and 07 constitutions.

I would agree with your expectations. There is not much to do in the meantime but watch how the moving parts finally come to the final decision and then look at what that constitution is.

I don't expect any elections to be held under to be 'free and fair', or if they are, then as you say, the elected government has no power.

[whybother]

It is rather amusing to hear a dyed-in-the-wool yellow elitist claim that they want to find 'middle ground' between the 97 and 07 constitutions.

I would agree with your expectations. There is not much to do in the meantime but watch how the moving parts finally come to the final decision and then look at what that constitution is.

I don't expect any elections to be held under to be 'free and fair', or if they are, then as you say, the elected government has no power.

Wasn't the 2007 election "free and fair"?

[tbthailand]

It is rather amusing to hear a dyed-in-the-wool yellow elitist claim that they want to find 'middle ground' between the 97 and 07 constitutions.

I would agree with your expectations. There is not much to do in the meantime but watch how the moving parts finally come to the final decision and then look at what that constitution is.

I don't expect any elections to be held under to be 'free and fair', or if they are, then as you say, the elected government has no power.

Wasn't the 2007 election "free and fair"?

for the referendum or the election of the government?

and what is the relevance to a future election under a future constitution?

[tbthailand]

It is rather amusing to hear a dyed-in-the-wool yellow elitist claim that they want to find 'middle ground' between the 97 and 07 constitutions.

I would agree with your expectations. There is not much to do in the meantime but watch how the moving parts finally come to the final decision and then look at what that constitution is.

I don't expect any elections to be held under to be 'free and fair', or if they are, then as you say, the elected government has no power.

Wasn't the 2007 election "free and fair"?

for the referendum or the election of the government?

and what is the relevance to a future election under a future constitution?

[DaddyWarbucks]

Go the Full Monty and just make it an election. Cheaper in the long run.

It wouldn't be cheaper in the long run if the Shinawatra Clan were to get back in power.

[blaze]

When there is no referendum the Junta are criticized.

When there is a hint of a referendum the Junta are criticized.

Might be time for some to join the reconciliation bandwagon for the good of the country.

The sad thing is though that just like the 2007 constitutional referendum that the majority wanted the result will be denounced because it does not suit a certain agenda.

That my friends will also extend to the next election if / when the PTP don't win. The result will not be recognized by the PTP and the election will be deemed rigged by the Junta.

That is the mindset of a PTP supporter.

BUT….there was never corruption in the rice scheme!!!

Djamie-- you know very well, yet conveniently forget to say, that the 2007 constitution was enforced with 'visits' to the villages by men in army-- by the threat : accept this constitution or the army will provide you with one of our choosing.

To design a nation's constitution with a single goal: to prevent the election of a truly popular government is a recipe for long term disaster-- this will be at best a continued expression of adhocracy.

And thus, doomed.

Constitutions aimed at preventing a single family from getting power are inviting rewrites in the future--

And this one will not be to advance the cause of democracy-- only to keep the Thaksins at bay.

Yes-- a referendum-- accept this constitution-- or accept continued clownocracy.

Do you really believe that in a hundred years this document will be still in force?

There was a constitution- it was torn up--

and this one will last more than six years?

It's a joke -- engraved on parchment.

The only right these people have to even propose a constitution is their monopoly on guns. Not on commitment to creating a nation of citizens.

[blaze]

It is rather amusing to hear a dyed-in-the-wool yellow elitist claim that they want to find 'middle ground' between the 97 and 07 constitutions.

I would agree with your expectations. There is not much to do in the meantime but watch how the moving parts finally come to the final decision and then look at what that constitution is.

I don't expect any elections to be held under to be 'free and fair', or if they are, then as you say, the elected government has no power.

Wasn't the 2007 election "free and fair"?

for the referendum or the election of the government?

and what is the relevance to a future election under a future constitution?

Like the 2007 constitution, this one will be written to keep the Thaksins out of power. Yet the systemic flaws that created Thaksin will remain. If they were sincere about creating a peoples' constitution they would have an election next month-- and permjit the elected government to begin the process of handing power to the people.

A democratic constitution written by people who reject the authority ol constitutions?

yeah- right.

[blaze]

the clouds aree gathering-- it will be a long time before thailand sees the sun again .

[Robespiere]

Once bitten, twice shy.

The public won't accept another gerrymandered referendum on another dodgy constitution.

If there is to be a referendum and garbage is served up, this time it'll be tossed out - as it deserves to be.

(Social media will play a big role as campaigning for a no vote will certainly be banned whilst the Junta spends a ton of state money pushing the yes vote)

[bluebluewater]

So they want to cannibalize the last two (or ten) constitutions that did not work and try to make that square peg fit the round hole?

I'll never understand that. Ya know, there are some constitutions from some other countries that have worked out quite well on a long term basis and so rather than try to reinvent the constitutional wheel perhaps they might wanna look there as a starter rather than take that which has failed long term.

Alas, no way.

[djjamie]

When there is no referendum the Junta are criticized.

When there is a hint of a referendum the Junta are criticized.

Might be time for some to join the reconciliation bandwagon for the good of the country.

The sad thing is though that just like the 2007 constitutional referendum that the majority wanted the result will be denounced because it does not suit a certain agenda.

That my friends will also extend to the next election if / when the PTP don't win. The result will not be recognized by the PTP and the election will be deemed rigged by the Junta.

That is the mindset of a PTP supporter.

BUT….there was never corruption in the rice scheme!!!

Djamie-- you know very well, yet conveniently forget to say, that the 2007 constitution was enforced with 'visits' to the villages by men in army-- by the threat : accept this constitution or the army will provide you with one of our choosing.

Thank you for highlighting that any vote or majority that do not support the PTP agenda will be ignored or excuses made up.

There are 2 maps below. One showing the 2011 elections results per province. The other showing the 2007 referendum results per province. Can you pick which one is which? They are kinda the same looking results really heay? The PTP adhered to one of them while making excuses for the other. In other words they did not respect the majority when the majority did not suit them. In the North and North East of Thailand there was a majority AGAINST the draft. In two provinces in the far Northeast, the rejection even topped 75%. So going by your logic the majority in the PTP strongholds wanted a charter of the militaries choosing? Nahhh.

Lets see your excuses evolve to the next step now to denounce the majority.

Edited November 7, 2014 by djjamie

[bikerbri]

Looking forward to Hong Kong style democracy. Of course the people will have a choice,but we will give you the short list,and don't worry, it will only consist of "good people" we can trust.

[JOC]

Go the Full Monty and just make it an election. Cheaper in the long run.

With only 93.3% support from the population, way too risky!!

[Dogmatix]

A referendum would take another 5 months and what happens if it is rejected, since this is not provided for under the interim constitution? Presumably a rejection would have the same effect as a disagreement between the NRC and the CDC, i.e. both are dissolved and the process of selecting them and another attempt at drafting a constitution start again from scratch. That would mean elections in September 2017 at the earliest, assuming the second draft is agreed between the new NRC and CDC and approved in a second referendum.

[EnglishJohn]

I just wonder if the red-shirts here can appreciate that planning a referendum is light years ahead of anything Pheu-Thai would have done. They were changing it piece by piece and every time was to allow more corruption further down the line.

I find it hard to have any respect for people with such double standards. Do you people even realise - or are your ethics so low that you don't care ?.

[Robespiere]

I just wonder if the red-shirts here can appreciate that planning a referendum is light years ahead of anything Pheu-Thai would have done. They were changing it piece by piece and every time was to allow more corruption further down the line.

I find it hard to have any respect for people with such double standards. Do you people even realise - or are your ethics so low that you don't care ?.

Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

[Robespiere]

When there is no referendum the Junta are criticized.

When there is a hint of a referendum the Junta are criticized.

Might be time for some to join the reconciliation bandwagon for the good of the country.

The sad thing is though that just like the 2007 constitutional referendum that the majority wanted the result will be denounced because it does not suit a certain agenda.

That my friends will also extend to the next election if / when the PTP don't win. The result will not be recognized by the PTP and the election will be deemed rigged by the Junta.

That is the mindset of a PTP supporter.

BUT….there was never corruption in the rice scheme!!!

I'm sure it's been posted before, but here it is again

The campaigning process leading to the referendum was harshly criticised.

It is now obvious that the military junta have no intention of conducting a clean and democratic referendum on their new constitution. While the government is shamelessly spending millions of the public's baht on propaganda urging the population to vote "yes" and accept the constitution, those who are opposed to it are prevented from campaigning properly by arrests, threats and a total lack of access in the media. The referendum cannot therefore be regarded as democratic, according to any international or Thai standards...

It is necessary to remind ourselves that those in the P.A.D. and those intellectuals and academics who welcomed the coup as the "only way to get rid of Thaksin's authoritarianism", used the excuse of a "dirty election" on the 2nd April 2006 to justify the coup and to justify collaborating with the junta. The present referendum is infinitely more dirty and undemocratic compared to the 2nd of April election, which was a kind of referendum on the Thaksin government. At that time we and many others were able to campaign openly for a "no" vote against Thaksin without any threats or hindrance. The press carried the views of those who opposed the government. Yet we hear no protests from the ex-members of the P.A.D. or from the pro-coup intellectuals about the way the junta's referendum is being conducted.

In an editorial, the Bangkok Post noted,

Martial law is in place across half the country. That is the harsh reality of today, and it is not an environment that would be conducive to a free and fair referendum. Any referendum carried out under the current repressive climate and alleged forced voting cannot be used to chart the path of the future of a democracy.

Edited November 7, 2014 by Robespiere

[jesimps]

When there is no referendum the Junta are criticized.

When there is a hint of a referendum the Junta are criticized.

Might be time for some to join the reconciliation bandwagon for the good of the country.

The sad thing is though that just like the 2007 constitutional referendum that the majority wanted the result will be denounced because it does not suit a certain agenda.

That my friends will also extend to the next election if / when the PTP don't win. The result will not be recognized by the PTP and the election will be deemed rigged by the Junta.

That is the mindset of a PTP supporter.

BUT.there was never corruption in the rice scheme!!!

Djamie-- you know very well, yet conveniently forget to say, that the 2007 constitution was enforced with 'visits' to the villages by men in army-- by the threat : accept this constitution or the army will provide you with one of our choosing.

To design a nation's constitution with a single goal: to prevent the election of a truly popular government is a recipe for long term disaster-- this will be at best a continued expression of adhocracy.

And thus, doomed.

Constitutions aimed at preventing a single family from getting power are inviting rewrites in the future--

And this one will not be to advance the cause of democracy-- only to keep the Thaksins at bay.

Yes-- a referendum-- accept this constitution-- or accept continued clownocracy.

Do you really believe that in a hundred years this document will be still in force?

There was a constitution- it was torn up--

and this one will last more than six years?

It's a joke -- engraved on parchment.

The only right these people have to even propose a constitution is their monopoly on guns. Not on commitment to creating a nation of citizens.

Jamie views everything through yellow tints. Never let's the truth spoil a good rant.

[englishoak]

Thailand's Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) will study 19 old Constitutions............

[JAG]

Its all really academic. If the constitution doesn't result in the government they want, they will stage a coup, tear up the constitution and write a new one. If a government is elected which isn't the one they want, they will stage a coup and impose the government they want. This will continue until the bulk of the Thai people get sufficiently pissed off to stand against it, or the country breaks apart under the strain.