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PM says he has no power to order a referendum to be held


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PM says he has no power to order a referendum to be held

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BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has insisted that he has no power to stage a referendum to endorse the draft charter because it was not written in the interim constitution.

He said that it would depend on the National Reform Council to decide whether there should be a referendum or not.

Responding to a reporter’s question about the suggestion by Dr Bovornsak Uwanno, chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, that the current draft charter, if becomes law, should be enforced for five years, the prime minister said, from his own understanding, Dr Bovornsak might mean that the time line for the reform might take five years.

He said that the draft charter was written in a way to resolve the country’s core problems among them corruption, lack of transparency and misuse of power by politicians with an intention to effect reform. But if the draft was written like all the previous charters, then there will never been reform in this country, he added.

The prime minister further said that he could not stop the next government from amending the constitution as there is no provision in the current draft that prohibits constitutional amendments.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pm-says-he-has-no-power-to-order-a-referendum-to-be-held

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-- Thai PBS 2015-04-29

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IMO what he is saying, (the way i read it anyway) is that there is no provision in the constitution to offer a referendum where the actual people can have any say in the decision making process.

It is this way the world over..no politician in his right mind would ever contemplate giving the people any REAL powers..

how would the politicians give themselves XX% pay rise every year?

In this day and age with the technology available, every country could slash the number of politicians in half.

Make it law that every person alive be issued with a passport, and their passport number to be used as an online identiity. Make a daily/weekly online electronic referendum vote for the signing off of EVERY decision made by our local elected pollies.

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Some people who have the power to ram a new constitution through don't have the power to ask for anyone else's opinion.

You think it would really matter if there is a referendum? How many voters would actually read it? Of those, how many would fully understand it? I am guessing zero, this constitution will be written just like the other 15 or so, ambiguous and totally open for interpretation. Depending on the circumstance, the constitutional court judges will interpret it, to the favor of the govt in power or the ouster of the govt in power, again depending on circumstance.

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"He said that it would depend on the National Reform Council to decide whether there should be a referendum or not."

Probably better to come from the reform committee than from the PM. Mind you, from comments I gather some posters would really like the PM to force his way through rolleyes.gif

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"The prime minister further said that he could not stop the next government from amending the constitution as there is no provision in the current draft that prohibits constitutional amendments."

Is there a provision that explains how to amend the constitution?

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Referendum up to NRC and CDC: PM
THE NATION

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PRAWIT ASSURES PUBLIC THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME TO MAKE CHANGES TO CHARTER DRAFT

BANGKOK: -- THE DECISION on whether to hold a referendum on the new draft constitution lies with the National Reform Council (NRC) and the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC), Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday.

"The roadmap is in accordance with the interim constitution. If there is no amendment to the interim constitution, then things will proceed accordingly," said the premier, who is also head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

Contrary to popular belief, it is not up to him to decide on the matter, but up to the NRC and the CDC, he said.

As for CDC chairman Borwornsak Uwanno's suggestion to use the constitution for five years first before amending it, Prayut replied: "This constitution can be called a constitution for reform, if we see it that way. The reform could take five, 10 or 20 years. If [future elected politicians] want to amend it, they can do so as they are elected."

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday asked the public not to criticise the draft charter so that it does not get stuck in an impasse. He added that there was still sufficient time to adjust the draft.

Prawit also met Borwornsak to discuss the draft charter yesterday.

"The charter's draft has to be accepted first. Then, we can proceed according to the process laid down in the roadmap. It is up to the NRC and the CDC to figure out how they would amend [the draft charter] before submitting it to the NCPO and the cabinet. "

He went on to say: "We do not even know whether the NRC would approve the draft charter. This is a matter for the future. However, I have not seen the suggestion regarding Articles 181 and 182, which provide the premier with power to implement laws and grant pardons to those who exhibit remorse and those who give useful testimony to a case. I do not know things in detail. I will have to study the draft charter first. As for the issue on whether to amend it or not, that is another issue."

When asked whether the NCPO would like to prolong its time in power by delaying the deadline for the implementation of the new constitution, Prawit replied that the NCPO had no intention of staying longer in power.

Asked if the new CDC and NRC would still be set up if the current draft fails to get NRC approval, Prawit said the provisional constitution already provided the outline on what to do in those circumstances. Nevertheless, Prawit added that we should not think too much about this at the moment, as it is a matter for the future.

"The premier and head of the NCPO, Prayut Chan-o-cha, has always insisted that he would always stick to the roadmap," said Prawit.

Talking on the same topic, former prime minister General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh suggested that the charter drafters prepare two constitutions for people to choose. As for Borwornsak's proposal to accept the charter and use it for five years before changing it, Chavalit said it was not enough.

"It's better to have an alternative for the people."

In a related development, former prime minister Chuan Leekpai said the new draft charter has been written in such a way that if he were to run for a seat in the House for the first time, it would be difficult or almost impossible for him to win.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Referendum-up-to-NRC-and-CDC-PM-30259067.html

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-- The Nation 2015-04-30

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Oh and so the stupidity continues.....

There just has to be an end to this....

I vote for a coup

Edited: Keyboard went 44 and forgot how to spell..... It did not have the power to auto-correct.

Edited by DennisF
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"The prime minister further said that he could not stop the next government from amending the constitution as there is no provision in the current draft that prohibits constitutional amendments."

Is there a provision that explains how to amend the constitution?

Yes - it's the section that requires the proposed amendments to be submitted to the military for approval......................

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Nevertheless, Prawit added that we should not think too much about this at the moment, as it is a matter for the future.

Consider only today, never tomorrow. Oh, the Thainess...

Is there an Office of Future Thinking? I think there is a definite need here. Maybe someone in the Inactive Post Department could slide over?

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He said that the draft charter was written in a way to resolve the country’s core problems among them corruption, lack of transparency and misuse of power by politicians with an intention to effect reform. Have they been implemented ? Not sure they are working if it has !

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