New Thai constitution: 'Amend charter as we said and the NRC will back it'

[webfact]

NEW CONSTITUTION
'Amend charter as we said and the NRC will back it'
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE National Reform Council would vote to pass the draft charter if the Constitution Drafting Committee alters the text in ways the NRC has suggested, NRC whip spokesman Wanchai Sornsiri said yesterday.

Wanchai declared the NRC's debate on the charter draft over the past seven days a success.

He said the body would submit its recommendations to amend the draft to CDC chairman Borwornsak Uwanno within 30 days.

He said the NRC would write with details of 36 reform agenda items and seven development plans stated in the charter draft.

Corrupt politicians would fear the new charter because there were effective mechanisms to eradicate, block and punish them, he said.

Wanchai was responding to criticism made by politicians that the charter draft aimed to maintain dictatorial power.

"Good politicians are not perturbed by the new charter."

He said the new charter was meant to promote and protect the interests of the public and not vested interest groups.

Meanwhile, political activist Suriyasai Katasila said there were five weaknesses in the charter draft that may cause it to be rejected by the NRC.

He said the point on decentralisation created division between two camps. While some NRC and CDC members want to increase local government power and to reduce central government power, others believe the current power structure should be maintained.

Under police reform, he said the issue about separating investigative power from inquiries and arrests had been met with strong resistance from the NRC.

Some reformers believed reform of the police force should be done by preventing political interference, but he said they had not thought about how to ensure good governance in the police.

Suriyasai said the NRC's panels on civic groups and permanent officials had not given importance to the stability and the strength of civic groups and civil politics, so they had not allowed public participation in the crafting of public policies.

The panels believed that the strength of the bureaucratic system was a key to solving the country's problems.

Suriyasai said many NRC members were trapped by the idea that only the direct election of representatives was democracy and the indirect election of representatives from diverse professions was not.

The activist said the NRC was split down the lines of conservatives and liberals.

"This reflects Thai society, which is also split between the two ideas. We must find a balance and learn to build a society of political pluralism," he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Amend-charter-as-we-said-and-the-NRC-will-back-it-30258820.html


-- The Nation 2015-04-27

[ExPratt]

"Suriyasai said many NRC members were trapped by the idea that only the direct election of representatives was democracy and the indirect election of representatives from diverse professions was not."

I don't think that's trapped I think that is having a basic understanding of what democracy is.

"Indirect Election"? more terms for the doublespeak Dicctionary

[Chao Lao Beach]

Yeah, a bit confusing

[phoenixdoglover]

Nice to hear from the Politburo.

[pisico]

But meanwhile, in the corridors of real power, Hobson was make the choices for the rest of the cohorts...

Under developing....

[seajae]

what needs to be inserted in the charter is that all parties accused of corruption/fraud etc including politicians/govt people are to be tried before a court and cannot use their positions as an excuse to get out of it as they do currently. Its past time that anyone breaking the law is dragged before the courts and made to pay, they need to remove the bullsh*t halving of sentences etc simply because they admit to it and made to pay huge fines and serves big jail time, inactive posts are a joke and needs to be replaced with true penalties, sacked and jailed.

[Srikcir]

"We must find a balance and learn to build a society of political pluralism," he said."

"We" must learn to ALLOW the puralistic Thai electrorate decide the balance and what is needed to build a society. Not the elitists appointed by a military Junta to follow its political agenda.

[pisico]

what needs to be inserted in the charter is that all parties accused of corruption/fraud etc including politicians/govt people are to be tried before a court and cannot use their positions as an excuse to get out of it as they do currently. Its past time that anyone breaking the law is dragged before the courts and made to pay, they need to remove the bullsh*t halving of sentences etc simply because they admit to it and made to pay huge fines and serves big jail time, inactive posts are a joke and needs to be replaced with true penalties, sacked and jailed.

Good idea but... if you read about Thai history you will know that from the times of Phra Somdet Sri Suryiothai, (as a result of one of the intrigues during those turbulent years, Prince Tien of the Thai Royal family was ordered to be executed but saved his life by becoming a monk). Since then, most anybody in the Kingdom can escape justice by becoming a monk.

Does it sound familiar ?

Edited April 27, 2015 by pisico

[JAWF]

while srtill selling his book

[brucec64]

"Suriyasai said many NRC members were trapped by the idea that only the direct election of representatives was democracy and the indirect election of representatives from diverse professions was not."

I don't think that's trapped I think that is having a basic understanding of what democracy is.

"Indirect Election"? more terms for the doublespeak Dicctionary

It is doublespeak, but not even correct doublespeak. It is meant to deceive the public.

Indirect election is when someone is appointed by an elected body. In Canada, the Senate is appointed by the majority party in the lower house. This is indirect election.

The Thai senate is 77 senators elected from a pool of appointed candidates. The group appointing the candidates is not elected by the people.

The remainder are direct appointments, or elected from unelected bodies.

In both cases, this is not the definition of "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.

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