NLA Vice-President proposes amendment to allow unelected Thai PM during crisis

[webfact]

NLA Vice-President proposes amendment to allow unelected PM during crisis

UTTARADIT, 30 March 2015 (NNT) - The Second Vice-President of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) revealed that he will propose a constitutional amendment to allow for an outside prime minister in times of crisis to hold office for up to a year, provided that the measure receives a two-thirds vote in Parliament.

NLA 2nd Vice-President Peerasak Porchit spoke with reporters on the matter during his trip to gather public input in Uttaradit and Pichit provinces. He said that while he agrees the constitution should be flexible enough to allow for a non-Member of Parliament to assume the premiership to avoid political deadlock, the charter must ensure that the extreme measure is only used during an emergency.

Mr. Peerasak said that MPs must honor the pledge they have given to their constituents to elect a prime minister from the majority party. He reasoned that there would be public outcry if MPs chose a premier from outside Parliament without just cause.

The NLA Vice President added that the Senate should consist of both elected and appointed members. He claimed that a fully-appointed chamber would not hold legitimacy in the eyes of the public, while a fully-elected body would make the chamber susceptible to partisanship.

“We saw that the previous half-elected, half-appointed Senate functioned adequately during the political crisis before May 22. I therefore urge that this hybrid composition be preserved,” Mr. Peerasak said.

However, NLA 2nd Vice-President said the final verdict on these matters will ultimately fall to the Constitutional Drafting Committee combining input from the government, the NLA, the National Reform Council and the general public. He also agreed that a public referendum must be held in order to legitimize the new constitution.

-- NNT 2015-03-30

[JOC]

NLA Vice-President proposes amendment to allow unelected PM during crisis

Or in other words a carte blanche for the army to conduct the next coup, before it has even taken place!!

[Srikcir]

Uninteresting.

The NLA Vice-President makes a proposal that is consistent with his own unelected appointment by the NCPO to the NLA.

The military has made Thailand the Hub of Political Clones.

The NCPO has repeatedly stated that anything that conflicts with its agenda for reforming Thailand's electoral and governance systems is considered a crisis of a national security magnatude. And in the face of continued conflict with the NCPO agenda, Prayut has threatened to activate Article 44 which will trump any provision of the constitution a la Supreme Leader.

Who cares about unelected PM's?

[soalbundy]

What's the problem ? They already have an unelected PM

[espinoza]

And after that year ? What happens. The democracy of Thailand is very far in the future. As long the rich people and the poor people have different views. How can anyone change that ? Its a factum. Respect for democracy ends at the brink of the bank accounts in Thailand. I`m very sorry, but thats the fact. When the dictatorship let the country try again, the rich people will loose again, then the story goes around. New military coup. I think the first ting Thailand have to do is to get the military out of any power, like the western democratic countries. Then it can be peace and happy majority.

[rubl]

Actually it does make sense to have the constitution include means of solving a few 'what if worst things happen'.

Better to have the constitution offer requirements and limitations and have laws to cover those then wait for a crisis to happen.

[Thai at Heart]

Democrazy with Thai characteristics.....

[retsdon]

All that was ever needed all along was for the laws of the land to be applied as written. But the fact is that laws in Thailand simply don't apply to the powerful. Sons of prominent politicians, politicians themselves, the offspring of corporstion owners, the army, all the way down to the five-ball of 'kon ruay maak' who every Thurday afternoon make playing my local course a 6 hour ordeal for anyone unlucky or unknowing enough to get stuck behind them -these people are all the same. For these people, the rules - whether for murder, theft, constitutional treason, or even golf - are an irrelevance unless they want to use them as a stick to beat some lesser sod with. These people are NEVER held accountable and they know it.

Until that changes, nothing which is said or done will fix Thailand's woes one iota.

[Zoroaster]

Actually it does make sense to have the constitution include means of solving a few 'what if worst things happen'.

Better to have the constitution offer requirements and limitations and have laws to cover those then wait for a crisis to happen.

You've gotta put the horse before the cart sunshine.

Thailand just needs to enforce its treason laws and then the likes of the military, Suthep and Sondhi can't create any crises.

20 constitutions and every one has been a failure.

The fact is one side doesn't like to play by the rules so every time they don't get their way they rip up the rule book and start allover again.

An unelected PM is just a means to bypass the need for a Sondhi or Suthep like figure to terrorise the nation and cause enough bloodshed to justify the next coup.