Voters may soon impeach politicians
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- New charter may let ordinary people go after 'wrong-doers' passed over by Parliament

The next constitution will empower voters to impeach politicians if they escape the claws of parliamentarians, chief charter writer Borwornsak Uwanno said yesterday.

The Constitution Drafting Committee chairman said the body would make provisions about the impeachment of politicians clearer and would empower voters to have the final say if the House of Representatives and the Senate failed to impeach people they believed had abused their offices.

He said the next charter would empower elected MPs and selected senators to impeach politicians who had committed wrongdoings. If they were impeached by parliamentarians, they would have to leave office and would be banned from holding political office for five years.

But if the Parliament voted not to impeach, voters would be able to make the final decision - and if the public voted to impeach a politician, he or she would be banned from politics for life.

"This idea is to return the power to the people," the CDC chairman said.

He noted that the Senate, which was empowered to impeach politicians by past constitutions, had only impeached then National Human Rights Commission member Jara Disthapichai.

Borwornsak said the next constitution would clarify the differentiation between impeachment processes against a serving politician and against someone who had left office. If someone were targeted while still serving, the charter would call it the "impeachment process for removing the politician from office". In the alternative case, the "impeachment process for depriving politicians of their political rights" would be used.

Borwornsak said these clear definitions would prevent disputes over whether someone who had left office could be impeached.

He said that so far the issue had been discussed only in principle and more talks were needed to iron out the details.

"For example, we will have yet to decide how many votes will be required for impeachment [and] which behaviour or actions will warrant such a process and how it should proceed," he said.

Borwornsak believes the impeachment process against former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra will not affect the efforts of the Anek Laothamatas-chaired committee charged with studying reconciliation measures. He believes the panel's proposals will be supported by all sides.

"The outcome of the impeachment process [against Yingluck] by the National Legislative Assembly will set a precedence for all cases equally," he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Voters-may-soon-impeach-politicians-30251637.html

-- The Nation 2015-01-10

If that happens, then there won't be any politicians left to control run the country.

They cannot even work out the concept of 1 man 1 vote and they are attempting this irrelevant nonsense

How on earth are they going to get this to run.

The PM will be tossed out every 2 weeks.

Stupid, immature thinking.........but I guess this indicates the level of intelligence there is in officialdom here in Thailand!

Could work as long as the public are seeking impeachment through petition (the same way good democracies allow the people in numbers to make a case) to the NACC who could then decide on the merit of the case to have it denied or presented to the criminal courts. And also in a far more timely manner than what is currently the case. Something Thai politicians and Thaksin's criminal scum bags especially have to learn is that they are accountable to the law through the criminal court and not as most of Thaksin's scumbags think they are, they are not above the people's courts. Something out of the square is required in Thailand's case to allow the process to run without the complainant and courts being threatened by dictatorial mafia politicians. Impeachment by large numbers of the people through petition would achieve that.

​ Wish they could do this in the U.S.A. sure would get rid of a lot of rotten politicians.

unworkable/mayhem

I think that's a great idea to improve the economy in the provinces. Impeachment vote buying will be much more frequent and more expensive than simple election vote buying.

I think that's a great idea to improve the economy in the provinces. Impeachment vote buying will be much more frequent and more expensive than simple election vote buying. [/quote

Stimulate the economy!

I think that's a great idea to improve the economy in the provinces. Impeachment vote buying will be much more frequent and more expensive than simple election vote buying. [/quote

Stimulate the economy!

ahem,...yes, you understood.

Not so sure if this is a good idea, there has to be proof and there has to be a case. If the people in power don't want to convict they will just not make a good case. Unless they can also put fore ward a good lawyer to make the case nothing will happen.

Other thing is if there is no reason for impeachment they could still rally votes and go for the process and make someones live hell even if there is no base. (though this could happen now too)

Fear not, this is just a trial balloon and will never make it into the finished charter.

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How on earth are they going to get this to run.

The PM will be tossed out every 2 weeks.

No, not if there is a provision for an unelected, nonparty PM.

How about returning the Senate to the power of the people - make it 100% elected!

A very good idea.

Given that Thai politicians very rarely resign or are even kicked out of the cabinet when they break the law ('honest mistake' anyone), allowing the people via (say) a petition to trigger an impeachment by bypassing the political elite, is badly needed.

I could mention a few other countries that could do with a similar process too.

​ Wish they could do this in the U.S.A. sure would get rid of a lot of rotten politicians.

No it wouldn't, because voters keep reelecting them especially if the politician has seniority which gives him more power in bringing home the pork for the district he/she represents. Voters are basically saying, "Yea, he's probably crooked but he's our crooked politician and treats us well."

I think that's a great idea to improve the economy in the provinces. Impeachment vote buying will be much more frequent and more expensive than simple election vote buying.

That's exactly what I thought when I read the headline - Imagine how much the country folk could make out of this racket.

Not only do they get 500 baht for their vote, they also get a bonus not to impeach ! It's extra income in between elections.

I can see this working.

inmates running the asylum springs to mind

Hard to see how public servant lawyers are going to get on board this train when the sitting members won't. I doubt it will ever leave the station!

Voters used to have the full ability to impeach politicians. It was called an election.

How about returning the Senate to the power of the people - make it 100% elected!

Why?

A fair few democracies don't have an elected Senate.

Stupid, immature thinking.........but I guess this indicates the level of intelligence there is in officialdom here in Thailand!

OK, so letting the people decide is a stupid idea. I'll have to use the following rating again:

How about returning the Senate to the power of the people - make it 100% elected!

but attempting to do that could get you impeached.

time for a fresh crop of corruptables