Drafters expected to remove some controversial charter provisions

[webfact]

Drafters expected to remove some controversial charter provisions
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THE Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) may agree to remove controversial provisions that give special powers to the prime minister, National Reform Council (NRC) spokesman Wanchai Sornsiri said yesterday.

He said the Reform Council had decided which members would attend the meeting from tomorrow to Saturday this week to explain to the CDC reasons behind changes the NRC has proposed to the charter. "We must reason with the CDC that our amendments to the charter will help the country address the current problems," he said.

"Every system has its strengths and weaknesses; we have focus on a system that solves problems effectively,'' he said.

Wanchai said he believed the CDC may not change provisions on the open-list election system and non-elected PM because it believes these provisions provide a way out of a political crisis.

But the charter drafters may agree to remove provisions 181-182, which give special powers to the PM in sponsoring bills and launching "confidence motions".

The CDC may also review the provision that allows a reconciliation committee to seek amnesty for people who give useful information or those who repent.

"I believe the CDC will allow a great amount of change but not the major principles in the draft. I think the NRC can accept the open-list system but not provisions 181-182, on the make-up of the Independent Reform Promoting Committee, [and] the powers of the National Reform Strategy Committee, because most sectors of society disapprove of the provisions," he said.

Chairman of the NRC's panel on law and justice reform, Seree Suwanpanont, warned the CDC not to get carried away that the Reform Council and the public would vote to support the charter draft.

"We hope the CDC is not mistaken that it has liberty to write the charter any way it wants. The public referendum involves as many as 40-50 million people who listen to politicians close to them. By adamantly insisting that political parties stand to lose from the new charter and refusing to change the charter draft as called by politicians, how can the CDC be confident about getting public approval?'' he said.

He said the 2007 charter received 21 million votes of approval to 19 million against when it was put to a referendum. This was because the previous charter drafters teamed up with the government and military officials to campaign hard for public acceptance.

"The atmosphere now is different. The two major parties disapprove of the draft and the NRC has reserved quite a number of amendments to it,'' he said.

He said he believed that with peace and order not yet fully restored in the country, why would the government and the National Council for Peace and Order want the charter draft to pass the public referendum?

"They just act neutral, not supporting and not opposing. Let the people decide if they want the charter or not - and set the CDC adrift on a raft. [This is] unlike the 1997 charter, [when] the military gave its full backing. The chances that this charter draft will pass the referendum are dim. The CDC must accept proposals to change it,'' he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Drafters-expected-to-remove-some-controversial-cha-30261357.html


-- The Nation 2015-06-01

[smedly]

Nothing wrong with amendments as long as they are constructive - in the national interest and do not come from ex politicians - they should have no place or say in this process as it is these very people that the new charter is targeting

[Srikcir]

While the CDC and NRC may want to see more changes in the draft that more closely support sovereignty of the Thai people, I expect the Junta will attempt to control the endorsement process for the 2015 constitution just as it did in the referendum for the draft 2007 constitution:

- Use government equipment, personnel and funds to promote Junta's draft

- Use all national media outlets as propoganda tools

- Prevent the translation of the draft into Malay-Thai

- Forbid oppposition or criticism of the draft

But social media now may have a significant impact on a one-sided campaign to promote the draft. Maybe we will see a Thai Season of freedom.

[NoBrainer]

And here is the problem in a nutshell.

"The public referendum involves as many as 40-50 million people who listen to politicians close to them"

It is supposed to be the other way around. The politicians are supposed to listen to the people, not dictate to them what to do.

Until that changes, Thailand is going nowhere fast.