Thailand's CDC spells out its key priorities

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CDC spells out its key priorities
THE NATION

Charter drafters' chief outlines four goals, like curing nation's social divide, inequality

BANGKOK: -- CONSTITUTION Drafting Committee (CDC) chairman Borwornsak Uwanno has compared the current imposition of martial law to a medicine to contain a disease - in this case social and economic injustice, that has led to social division and conflict.

He said the task of the National Reform Council (NRC) was therefore to cure or solve such problems.

Borwornsak, along with many other charter drafters, was attending an NRC meeting in order to explain to council members their agenda and the key problems facing the country.

Ahead of them in coming weeks are Reform Council meetings to consider, debate and vote to approve the charter draft.

Borwornsak explained the disease he referred to was caused by corruption both at local and national levels - for example, the scandalous rice-pledging scheme initiated by the Yingluck-led Pheu Thai administration.

Another cause of disease was social inclusion, with some groups not given enough opportunity to participate in politics. Charter drafters had sought to solve the problem by writing rules that allow people who are not members of political parties to run for Parliament during a general election.

Borwornsak suggested the new constitution must have four key agendas: the first, to empower the citizen's sector.

Second is to foster clean politics, with a right balance between the lower and upper houses of Parliament.

The third goal was social justice; and the fourth, peace and reconciliation.

The charter drafters' vice-president Choochai Supawongse said that one reform area that people were most interested in was energy, as there were clearly contrasting views on how to reform it in order to move forward.

He noted that all opinions and viewpoints had been compiled in an NRC report for further consideration.

Finally, the CDC president dismissed reports that members of the five key institutions under the junta plan to lay out rules so they can stay in power after a new government has been installed.

He said for the CDC, it was necessary for them to stay on in order to complete their task - to draft the charter's 23 bills.

On the other hand, since the National Legislative Assembly was acting as both lower and upper houses, it had to remain until the Senate is appointed, 60 days after elected lower house MPs are put in place.

Choochai said another key area of reform was labour. There were demands for the establishment of a labour union so workers could have greater negotiating power.

Another area of great importance was reform of public administration. Choochai said the civil service was one of the key driving forces of the country.

The CDC vice-president also insisted a referendum on the charter was needed in order for their national reform plans to be successful. The people's backing was a key ingredient.

Another CDC member, Korbsak Phutrakul, explained the vision for economic and financial reform, saying the key goal was tackling economic inequality. More budget had to be allocated to improve sectors with low-incomes, he said.

There would also be the setting up of a national pension scheme exclusively for people with insufficient or no income, Korbsak said.

Drafter Anek Laothamatas said this constitution could be called the "reconciliation edition" because it will focus on empowering the citizen's sector.

He called for cooperation from all sectors of society for a joint effort to achieve peace and reconciliation in order for other reform plans to be successful.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/CDC-spells-out-its-key-priorities-30255748.html


-- The Nation 2015-03-11

[Srikcir]

To some nations and societies, democracy is the most dangerous disease of the mind to exist. But the CDC hopes to vaccinate Thais once and for all to eradicate that disease.

The alternative is to again use the scapel of military rule to disinfect the Thai people from the horrific side effects of democracy such as human rights and liberty. But the CDC operates without electoral mandate and its self-medicated prescriptions will never be held acceptable. The CDC is nothing more than an unlicensed clinic.