CDC chief calls for public vote on charter

[Lite Beer]

CONSTITUTION WATCH
CDC chief calls for public vote on charter
THE SUNDAY NATION

BANGKOK: -- Borwornsak hopes this will be the last constitution for Thailand

AS THE WRITING of the new constitution is in its final stage, the chief drafter has repeated his call for a national referendum on the final draft.

Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) chairman Borwornsak Uwanno said yesterday that he hoped the new charter would be endorsed through a national referendum although the matter is up to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and the Cabinet to decide.

Asked if he had discussed the matter with Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, the CDC chairman said no, adding Prayut had told him earlier the matter would be decided when the time came.

"If I am the person with the authority I would propose that people vote in a referendum. It just happened that I am not the person with the power," he told reporters.

Borwornsak also expressed his hope that the new constitution would be the last permanent constitution in the Kingdom and would not meet the same fate as previous charters that were eventually annulled after military coups.

The CDC chief held a press conference to update the public about the charter drafting process at the end of a week-long meeting held in Pattaya. He warned that a new charter alone may not be able to bridge political divisions and said national reconciliation was needed, otherwise Thailand could plunge to least developed country in the Asean region.

Borwornsak highlighted four main pillars of the new charter and said they would change Thai society.

First, citizens will be given a greater role in politics, given greater freedom and 15 years of free compulsory education.

Borwornsak cited the establishment of the so-called Citizen Assembly that would play a part in scrutinising and impeaching politicians who gravely breached political ethics.

Second, the new charter will foster clean politics with the introduction of new mechanisms to scrutinise politicians effectively. It will also create a balanced lower house and upper house with the Senate being selected from a broad range of groups, including those representing ethnic minority, those with physical disability and those on the fringe of society. Political groups will also be permitted to field candidates for the House of Representatives.

MPs will also become more independent as their status as members of parliament will not cease if they are dismissed from their own political party. However, MPs will have to renounce their status as an MP in order to take up a Cabinet post.

Third, the new charter will foster a more just society by pushing for reduction of social and economic disparities. Poor people facing the judicial process will be supported through funding that would allow them free legal representation.

Fourth, the new charter is aimed at bringing about national reconciliation with an organisation to be set up under the new charter to help achieve the goal.

Borwornsak said the final charter draft would be submitted to the Cabinet on May 25

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/CDC-chief-calls-for-public-vote-on-charter-30255096.html

-- The Nation 2015-03-01

[chooka]

I doubt very much it will be the last. After the next coup it will be thrown out and rewritten for the new leaders to suit thier agenda. As for a public vote/poll what a waste of time as Uncle Too has already stated that such things will only be accepted if they support the Junta.

[Mango Bob]

I couldn't agree more, it needs to be a people constitution approved by the people not the Junta.

[smedly]

for something so important - what was the rush ?

and I can't quite get my head around this..............

MPs will also become more independent as their status as members of parliament will not cease if they are dismissed from their own political party. However, MPs will have to renounce their status as an MP in order to take up a Cabinet post.

I think something got lost in translation MP = Member of Parliament

[tbthailand]

any referendum on a junta-written constitution is a red herring.

first, because it is a biased, junta-authored document - what difference does the referendum make in the content of the constitution? Zero difference.

second, the controls on the last referendum were very tight and designed to make sure that the referendum passed.

it is hard to imagine that a referendum this time would occur under less restrictive circumstances.

it is easy to imaging that a referendum this time would occur under more restrictive circumstances.

[bangrak]

Well, that's different, and much better, news, than what we heard previously from the CDC (à la: not enough time for a referendum before the general elections, too expensive, etc.) before! Fingers crossed!

[candide]

The key question is what is the alternative if there is a majority of NO. Back to the 2007 constitution? Or another round of charter drafting?

[heybruce]

"Second, the new charter will foster clean politics with the introduction of new mechanisms to scrutinise politicians effectively."

Of course cleaning up government in general with greater transparency and strict conflict of interest rules that apply to the civil service, judiciary and military weren't included, or even considered.

[Srikcir]

The Chief is a realist.

The 2007 Constitution went to a public referendum, albeit under heavy voting restraints, and passed with only 51%. It was created much in the same restrictive way this 2015 Constitution was created using military appointees and very limited public participation. And according to the NCPO, it was a complete failure. Not surprising. I'd expect a draft constitution to pass by much larger margins, ie., 70%, if it was going be supported by an electoral mandate.

But I doubt the NCPO will allow a referendum. The military has shown itself unafraid to impose restrictive limits on the sovereignty of the Thai people. And time is against the Junta to return the nation to democracy (or whatever it might be called). I don't believe the Junta could tolerate a failed referendum anymore than it can tolerate the simplest of criticisms on its actions during Gen. Prayuth's tenure as PM.

If the Chief has high morals and ethics for a democractic constitution, he and the whole of CDC and NRC should resign if Gen. Prayuth refuses a referendum. But Gen. Prayuth will not allow for such an embarrassment and all will comply with HIS WISHES and COMMANDS.

Sometimes being a realist is also being a loser.