Chart Pattana Party wants neutral PM to break national deadlock
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Nov 19 -- Thailand's Chart Pattana Party proposed to the Constitution Drafting Committee at parliament today that it wanted a neutral prime minister to break what it called the current national deadlock, according to committee spokesman Gen Lertrat Ratanavanich.

When the country was trapped in crisis, Chart Pattana proposed that the next charter should allow House representatives to nominate a prime minister candidate who was not a parliamentarian and that three quarters of all representatives could vote for such a neutral prime minister who would hold office for a limited period only to solve the national deadlock, Gen Lertrat said, while explaining the Chart Pattana idea.

"I cannot answer now how this can be written. It may refer to a neutral prime minister but it is not easy to write it. However, regarding the past few political crises, an outside prime minister can be welcomed. The committee listened to the proposal and when the time comes, pros and cons will be considered and it will be decided if the constitution can include this," Gen Lertrat said.

A representative of the Phalang Chon Party also shared its charter ideas today.

Like other parties, it wants representatives to be party members but it proposed that the charter allow representatives to propose laws without having to seek a supportive resolution from their political party. Phalang Chon also proposed that judicial organisations should be empowered to rule on the disqualification of fraudulent election candidates.

Chart Pattana, Phalang Chon, Bhumjaithai and Chartthaipattana parties do not want entire political parties and their executive boards to be banned for the wrongdoing of a single party executive.

The Constitution Drafting Committee will listen to the charter ideas of the Matubhum Party tomorrow. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-11-19

Politicians actually sitting down, presenting ideas, a long way to go but things are looking up.

I dont think its possible to have a neutral PM. Independence is an alien concept in Thailand; everyone is align to one group or another and nothing is achieved without working with someone else. Its a pipe dream...

This idea is still open to abuse and corruption , you have a person that is not elected by the people and only there because the members of parliament have elected that person , the modus - operandi can not to be trusted , I wouldn't expect any member of parliament to carry out something to my advantage in any country let alone Thailand, the principal point is to get that constitution up to standard to avoid any deadlocks , any overthrows by military or by church, ask for a copy of the rules from Westminster or US State Department, it's as easy as that.

I thought there was no "deadlock" anymore. I thought everyone was happy and had had their attitudes adjusted.

Not sure how a neutral Prime Minister would have support of the Parliament. If put in and does not have numbers to govern, they end up with a similar problem.

Their new constitution may need to restrict the powers of the military, so future coups are harder to stage. The problem they have with politicians is common the world over. It’s just the way of dealing with politicians is unique to Thailand. Putting further restrictions on Politicians and their parties will not make a better team. While the General was right in theory of attacking corruption, the measures currently being adopted do not go far enough.

The other reliance that is apparent now, is that the economy and political climate will be solved by academics without a lot of real world experience. Maybe it would be better for the people of Thailand to decide their fate?

I wonder what policies a "Neutral" PM would have. Everyone to wear Beige and go to bed at 8 O'clock

What deadlock? I thought 90+% of Thais are HAPPY?

Splendid comment coming from the leader of a party that has bounced across the political table more often than a ping pong ball in a ping pong game .

"Chart Pattana, Phalang Chon, Bhumjaithai and Chartthaipattana parties do not want entire political parties and their executive boards to be banned for the wrongdoing of a single party executive."

Clearly it's totally wrong, that parties may be held accountable for failing to control their executives' actions, blaming one nominal scapegoat ought to exempt all the other guilty party-leadership, because ... erm ... we're likely to suffer the consequences of our collective-actions and decisions.

Perhaps they meant somebody neutral like Banharn Silpa Archa and he has the experience too.