Thai politics: Reform bodies ponder their survival under new charter

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BURNING ISSUE
Reform bodies ponder their survival under new charter
NITIPOL KIRAVANICH
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE CHAPTER on "national reform and promoting reconciliation" established in the new charter will end its term after five years once the Constitution comes into force - yet there is still one method to extend this chapter through referendum.

The Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) drafted the age of the reform and reconciliation chapter, along with its organisations, for only five years after the Constitution comes into force. The exception would be if at least 50,000 eligible voters, Parliament or cabinet requested a referendum.

If the majority of eligible voters agree to extend this chapter, its term and the new bodies would be extended for no more than five years.

Political observers believe there are two aspects to this national reform.

On the one hand, it could be viewed as if the junta-appointed agencies were trying to retain power in the future - even if there was a new elected government. Some bodies created under this chapter, such as the Reform Movement Council, would come from membership of the National Reform Council (NRC) and the National Legislative Assembly.

More than ten organisations are involved in the setting up of reforms within this chapter alone. So, acquiring 50,000 eligible voters to request a referendum might not be too difficult. The more agencies are set up under this reform and reconciliation chapter, the more people would be affected by the new charter, which would be expanded by both new committees and staff increases.

Extending this chapter poses a bigger challenge because those voting to approve its extension would be voters throughout the country, not only the initial 50,000 people requesting a referendum.

However, their clear determination to prolong their power or not would also lie within the membership of these new reform bodies.

Many sides, such as CDC, NRC, political parties and even political scientists, realise that national reform could not be accomplished within five years - so they are leaving room for new reform bodies.

The charter drafters and the reformers earlier reasoned and agreed to the idea that national reform could not be promoted in a short period of time; so there must be methods to ensure reformers' plans would be continued and implemented in the future.

Moreover, once the new government came into power there would be no guarantee it would push for the plans the reformers had set up.

However, other efforts would be made to ensure all plans and proposals of the reformers and the community are not wasted in the future.

As a result, the new Constitution on the chapter of national reform stipulates there must be reform bodies established within one year after the new charter comes into force.

Finally, to extend its terms or not, the members from this reform and reconciliation chapter, now granted five years, have to prove themselves by producing tangible works and illustrating they have the qualifications to reform this country - not merely because they were empowered by the Constitution or just wanted to retain their power.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Reform-bodies-ponder-their-survival-under-new-char-30256376.html


-- The Nation 2015-03-20