Thai govt's Charter drafter clarifies 'unelected' Senate

[webfact]

Junta's Charter Drafter Clarifies 'Unelected' Senate
By Khaosod English


File photo of Constitution Drafting Committee chairman Bowornsak Uwanno.

BANGKOK — The chairman of the junta-appointed Constitution Drafting Committee has urged the media to stop describing the next Senate as "unelected" and use the term "indirectly elected" instead.

"Certain newspapers and TV channels have identified the new Senate as unelected," CDC chairman Bowornsak Uwanno said at a press conference today. "It's not lovely. It's an inaccurate presentation of news.”

He continued, "The new Senate that the CDC has approved will be indirectly elected by a diverse group of individuals, such as those with expertise and morality about politics, national administration, the judiciary system, society, ethnology, and folk wisdom."

The CDC announced yesterday that it had finalized a section of the charter establishing the next Senate as a fully-appointed body.

According to a CDC spokesperson, the new Senate will consist of 200 members, half of whom will be chosen by a council of “experts.” It's unclear how the body of experts will be chosen.

The other Senators - also appointed - will consist of former high-level politicians and bureaucrats such as prime ministers, military commanders, parliament speakers, judicial leaders, and representatives from other civic organizations.

Each senator will serve up to two six-year terms.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1424932740


-- Khaosod English 2015-02-26

[peptidebomber]

The senate will be elected by a select group of people, North Korea style.

Sanctions from the EU and US will surely follow!

[TheDiva]

"folk wisdom"? Oh, my, should we be looking forward to more statements like this in the future;

“Today, I have a sore throat and suffer a pain in the neck. Someone said there are some people putting curses on me. I had so much lustral water poured over my head I shivered all over. I’m going to catch a cold now.”

[Costas2008]

Are we playing with words now?

Give it to them straight.

Yes unelected or indirectly elected it's for the good of this country and that's how it will be.

Whoever doesn't like it can have a cold shower to calm down.

[peptidebomber]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Are we playing with words now?

Give it to them straight.

Yes unelected or indirectly elected it's for the good of this country and that's how it will be.

Whoever doesn't like it can have a cold shower to calm down.

I used to think you were actually serious with your comments, but now I realize that you are just a troll after a reaction.

[MZurf]

"Certain newspapers and TV channels have identified the new Senate as unelected," CDC chairman Bowornsak Uwanno said at a press conference today. "It's not lovely. It's an inaccurate presentation of news.”

Now that's a description I agree with!

[Old Man River]

The senate will be elected by a select group of people, North Korea style.

Sanctions from the EU and US will surely follow!

Who will be in this select group?

By your comments you seem to already know so please enlighten me.

[peptidebomber]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The senate will be elected by a select group of people, North Korea style.

Sanctions from the EU and US will surely follow!

Who will be in this select group?

By your comments you seem to already know so please enlighten me.

Really? My comments imply that I know who will be in the group. Um no

My comments imply that it will be like North Korea, ie the military will determine who makes the laws in this country.

Consider yourself enlightened!!

[webfact]

Former elected senator says next Senate should have less power

BANGKOK: -- Former Nonthaburi senator Direk Thuenfung said Thursday that if all 200 members of the next Senate are not directly elected by the people, the upper chamber should have less power.

He said the next Senate, whose members will come from indirect elections, should have only the duty to scrutinize draft laws instead of approving appointments of crucial positions.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Former-elected-senator-says-next-Senate-should-hav-30254918.html


-- The Nation 2015-02-26

[Plowman]

Are we playing with words now?

Give it to them straight.

Yes unelected or indirectly elected it's for the good of this country and that's how it will be.

Whoever doesn't like it can have a cold shower to calm down.

At some stage, in the not too distant future, many millions of Thais are going to do much, much more than take a cold shower in response to this abysmal constitution foistered upon the nation by an unwanted and unpopular elite.

[Plowman]

"The new Senate that the CDC has approved will be indirectly elected by a diverse group of individuals, such as those with expertise and morality about politics, national administration, the judiciary system, society, ethnology, and folk wisdom."

Surely the most diverse group is one that consists of the entire nations populace - the wisdom of crowds.

I wish these guys would stop trying to sell this turd, no one is buying it.

[brucec64]

Using the term "indirectly elected", is at the very least, misleading, but more of an outright lie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indirect_election

Indirect election is a process in which voters in an election do not choose between candidates for an office but rather elect persons who will then make the choice. It is one of the oldest form of elections and is still used today for many upper houses and presidents.

The Senate will be selected by an appointed body - not by an elected body. Just an another example of how propaganda is being used to mask the fact that the CDC is creating a bastardized version of democracy.

[Old Man River]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The senate will be elected by a select group of people, North Korea style.

Sanctions from the EU and US will surely follow!

Who will be in this select group?

By your comments you seem to already know so please enlighten me.

Really? My comments imply that I know who will be in the group. Um no

My comments imply that it will be like North Korea, ie the military will determine who makes the laws in this country.

Consider yourself enlightened!!

I will return the favor. No sanctions.

[DKUNPUTAF713]

It has been too quiet for the past 8-9 months.

Maybe now the populace will finally wake up, smell the coffee and see what's happening to any up-coming elections

in the future after the departure of the Junta!

What a sorry state/situation this country and its people are in!!!

[Plowman]

It has been too quiet for the past 8-9 months.

Maybe now the populace will finally wake up, smell the coffee and see what's happening to any up-coming elections

in the future after the departure of the Junta!

What a sorry state/situation this country and its people are in!!!

The populace do not need to wake up or smell anything, they know damn well whats going on and who's doing it, more so than we do.

Fear not, when its all said and done, the people will have won.

[heybruce]

Stop calling it an unelected Senate, it's a Senate elected by unelected appointees. It's the same way Prayuth became PM.

While you're at it, stop calling the intervention a coup. Also, stop calling the government put in place by the military and loaded with past and present generals a junta. Definitely don't call the government by the D-word just because the man at the top was, um, indirectly elected and has unchecked power which he uses to quash dissent and subvert basic rights.

[oneday]

"...The CDC announced yesterday that it had finalized a section of the charter establishing the next Senate as a fully-appointed body..."

Humm...let's see...I'm not sure you could get more UNDEMOCRATIC.

[Old Man River]

Stop calling it an unelected Senate, it's a Senate elected by unelected appointees. It's the same way Prayuth became PM.

While you're at it, stop calling the intervention a coup. Also, stop calling the government put in place by the military and loaded with past and present generals a junta. Definitely don't call the government by the D-word just because the man at the top was, um, indirectly elected and has unchecked power which he uses to quash dissent and subvert basic rights.

Oh, while you are at it, stop calling the 2011 elections democratic. When a political party is blocked from campaigning in parts of the country, the subsequent election loses the right to be called democratic.

[Plowman]

This constitution will never ever face a referendum - its defeat would be a certainty.

It is already the worst and most regressive piece of trash the Yellows have yet to produce.

What we are witnessing is no more that the last few death rattles from a bygone social order, fear not, a bright and free future awaits.

[jdinasia]

"The new Senate that the CDC has approved will be indirectly elected by a diverse group of individuals, such as those with expertise and morality about politics, national administration, the judiciary system, society, ethnology, and folk wisdom."

Surely the most diverse group is one that consists of the entire nations populace - the wisdom of crowds.

I wish these guys would stop trying to sell this turd, no one is buying it.

Are you aware of the limitations that have been placed on senators regarding campaigning in the past?

Name

Age

Where they graduated

No campaigning at all. Democracy demands an informed electorate....

[Stan7444]

"The new Senate that the CDC has approved will be indirectly elected by a diverse group of individuals, such as those with expertise and morality about politics, national administration, the judiciary system, society, ethnology, and folk wisdom."

Surely the most diverse group is one that consists of the entire nations populace - the wisdom of crowds.

I wish these guys would stop trying to sell this turd, no one is buying it.

Elected= Choosen by THE PEOPLE!

Selected= Choosen by THE ELITE!

Is this clear enough? This is the Chinese gov't model which this PM seems to admire greatly.

[heybruce]

Stop calling it an unelected Senate, it's a Senate elected by unelected appointees. It's the same way Prayuth became PM.

While you're at it, stop calling the intervention a coup. Also, stop calling the government put in place by the military and loaded with past and present generals a junta. Definitely don't call the government by the D-word just because the man at the top was, um, indirectly elected and has unchecked power which he uses to quash dissent and subvert basic rights.

Oh, while you are at it, stop calling the 2011 elections democratic. When a political party is blocked from campaigning in parts of the country, the subsequent election loses the right to be called democratic.

Sorry, I'm going with ANFREL on this: http://www.voanews.com/content/asian-observer-group-commends-thai-election-cites-minor-flaws--125003034/141777.html

[Plowman]

Strengthening of unelected Bureaucrats powers, electoral system that weakens political parties, jail for politicians should any of their policies tank, unelected senate and now we're hearing about an unelected PM.

Why even bother with politicians at all?

What exactly will they be getting paid to do?

Provide a fig leaf of cover so the Generals can tell the rest of the world Thailand is a democracy?

This constitution sucks and will not last long (if it even gets up at all).

[jonstarjon]

You know... a good step back could easily see this as a scene from the gangster era.. when people bought and vied their way up the ladder of life to meet the ends of a single being... to sell a lie to all but those in the know.. I wonder who would be the major players here if it was ever feasibly possible here? Any ideas?

[Stradavarius37]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The senate will be elected by a select group of people, North Korea style.

Sanctions from the EU and US will surely follow!

No they won't Chicken Little

[gamini]

The senate will be elected by a select group of people, North Korea style.

Sanctions from the EU and US will surely follow!

The upper house in the UK, similar to a senate is not elected. Same in many countries

[phoenixdoglover]

87.9% of village leaders agree. Indirect elections, of good people is best and expresses the four spirits. Gluttony, sloth...uh, hang on.

[tx22cb]

The utterances of CDC chairman Bowornsak Uwanno .... why do they conjure in my mind the word ... "Bovine"?

[jdinasia]

The senate will be elected by a select group of people, North Korea style.

Sanctions from the EU and US will surely follow!

The upper house in the UK, similar to a senate is not elected. Same in many countries

The upper house in the UK, The House of Lords, basically has no power over anything other than the ability to delay legislation - which the House of Commons can then over rule anyway. I think we're all pretty sure Thailands' unelected rabble won't be anywhere near as toothless as the UK's - so your comparison fails dismally.

Not true.

The House of Lords can introduce legislation.

Until less than 6 years ago it acted as the UK Supreme Court

The Senate here has more power. Yet less than the House of Lords just a few years ago.

I don't find it totally unreasonable.

[jdinasia]

The senate will be elected by a select group of people, North Korea style.

Sanctions from the EU and US will surely follow!

The upper house in the UK, similar to a senate is not elected. Same in many countries

The upper house in the UK, The House of Lords, basically has no power over anything other than the ability to delay legislation - which the House of Commons can then over rule anyway. I think we're all pretty sure Thailands' unelected rabble won't be anywhere near as toothless as the UK's - so your comparison fails dismally.

Not true.

The House of Lords can introduce legislation.

Until less than 6 years ago it acted as the UK Supreme Court

The Senate here has more power. Yet less than the House of Lords just a few years ago.

I don't find it totally unreasonable.

Yes true!

Since 1911 the House of Lords has been more or less toothless.

The recent changes to the Lords' composition have not altered its powers. The Lords can reject a bill (with some exceptions) but the Commons can (with some other exceptions)reintroduce the bill and overrule the Lords. In practice, this amounts to a right to delay a bill for one year. There is also an unofficial convention that the Lords do not use this power over legislation which was promised by the Government during the previous election campaign. The Lords can also propose detailed amendments to most bills, although the Commons have a similar power to overrule them. In other words, the Lords's powers amount to the right to ask the Commons to think again. Skillful use of that power can some times extract concessions from the Government.

The Lords also have same powers as the Commons to set up investigative committees, call for witnesses, ask questions to ministers etc.

Their judicial powers as the highest court of appeal (within England) are now exercised by the Law Lords, a sub-committee of senior judges. They have some similarities to the U.S. Supreme Court, but, without a written constitution to interpret, they cannot strike down legislation.

Source?

In your source it fails to mention initiating legislation, and you are totally ignoring the court powers it still has, and those that it had until just 6 years ago. The House of Lords is far from toothless.

Blocking legislation for a year is far from insignificant and can be used in very meaningful ways. Even in Thailand that similar ability to block legislation has been significant. It stopped the PTP amnesty bill and was instrumental in bringing down the Yingluck government.