Thai charter: Borwornsak hints at pressure from above after 'no' vote

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Borwornsak hints at pressure from above after 'no' vote
The Nation

CDC chief says he won't work on writing charter again; others deny being lobbied

BANGKOK: -- FORMER Constitution Drafting Committee chairman Borwornsak Uwanno hinted yesterday that former National Reform Council members from the military voted down the charter because of pressure from their superiors.

Speaking after the NRC voted down the charter draft, Borwornsak thanked the 105 NRC members who voted for the draft, especially General Lertrat Rattanavanich, General Nakhon Sukprasert and ADM Phajun Tamprateep.

Of 247 NRC members, 29 were police and military officers.

"Others had to heed the call from their superiors. It is normal and understandable. A CDC military member who had just been promoted to general abstained from voting. We understand that because he has to continue serving in his post,'' Borwornsak said.

He refused to say if NRC members had succumbed to lobbying because that was now in the past.

Borwornsak had said earlier he would not accept the job to write the charter again and yesterday maintained that pledge. He said it was regrettable that several good provisions in the draft were not going to be put to use, such as reform measures and empowering people in general and women specifically, as well as empowering communities and the underprivileged.

"The voice of the people is not heard because the voice we hear the loudest in the media is the voice of politicians,'' he said.

Former CDC spokesman Kamnoon Sidhisamarn said the CDC had worked under pressure. He said he wanted to reveal what had happened but given the situation the country was in, doing so was difficult.

Former CDC member Lt-General Navin Damrigan, who abstained from voting, denied that he had been asked by the government to send a signal to NRC members to vote down the draft.

He said he did not take an order from anyone. "I exercised my right. No one knew how I was going to vote. I took reasons and principles into consideration. No one lobbied me or instructed me in return for vested interests."

He said that of 285 provisions in the charter draft, many were useful and worth being in the new charter.

Former CDC member Mechai Viravaidya said he was not disappointed that the NRC rejected the charter, saying the CDC did its duty to the best of its ability. Mechai

refused to say if the charter was

rejected because of lobbying.

"As you can see [those who rejected the draft] were all military officials and the one CDC member who abstained [was too]," he said.

"It is like anti-sentiment. When it turns out like this, we know that they belong to the government and what kind of order the government issued we can witness but [you will get] no criticism from us. And we are not sorry."

Mechai said he did not know if he wanted to be on the charter-writing team again.

Former CDC member Thawilwadee Bureekul asked the media to ensure the new charter draft included provisions on women's rights and equality, as well as rights for the underprivileged.

Former CDC member Supatra Nacapew said she felt sorry that many good provisions in the draft would be wasted and hoped the new draft was better than the one voted down.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Borwornsak-hints-at-pressure-from-above-after-no-v-30268281.html


-- The Nation 2015-09-07

[jaidam]

Hard to believe it, but if there really is nobody here capable of writing a fair charter for the country, well it might be time to either hire foreigners to do it for them, or simply just copy a successful charter from a democratic nation such as Switzerland. Fast, easy, and free.( Inflated advisory fee to be paid into my usual BVI account, thanks Gen.)

[Seastallion]

""Others had to heed the call from their superiors. It is normal and understandable. A CDC military member who had just been promoted to general abstained from voting. We understand that because he has to continue serving in his post,'' Borwornsak said."

"The voice of the people is not heard because the voice we hear the loudest in the media is the voice of politicians,"

The sad sad tragically silly IRONY!

Try to restore democracy via a charter that attempts to curb politicians' corruption, nepotism, and self-interest, and it can't be done because they either order or whisper in the ears of those that will bring about the politicians' lessened power.

The General needs to use S44. Just put the charter in place and fetter the corruption. Disempower the self-serving.

[ChrisY1]

Regardless of the suggestion that government panels and committees are free from intimidation, this article shows that pressure and intimidation of superiors and elite, rule Thailand' hope of there ever being honest and fair representation for the Thai people

[NeilSA1]

Hard to believe it, but if there really is nobody here capable of writing a fair charter for the country, well it might be time to either hire foreigners to do it for them, or simply just copy a successful charter from a democratic nation such as Switzerland. Fast, easy, and free.( Inflated advisory fee to be paid into my usual BVI account, thanks Gen.)

Well, it seems plagiarism is an acceptable norm.

[Srikcir]

"The voice of the people is not heard because the voice we hear the loudest in the media is the voice of politicians,''

Compared to the Prayut-Suthep bully pulpits, politicians voices were mere squeeks.

[kblaze]

the waste of time, money, and effort here boggles the mind

[halloween]

"As you can see [those who rejected the draft] were all military officials and the one CDC member who abstained [was too],"

Over 130 voted against the charter, yet Mechai comes out with this BS.

"Of 247 NRC members, 29 were police and military officers" of which 3 voted FOR and one abstained, leaving 25, or less than 20% of the total voting against.

The Nation continues with the conspiracy theory with "That most "No" votes came from military and police personnel in the reform council helped strengthen the rumours."

And those with an agenda, but difficulty counting a case of beer bottles even with their shoes off, jump on the bandwagon.

[toybits]

Does that mean that some people/mysterious wielders of power are trying to influence this supposedly independent body? Oh my word!!! That's unthinkable!!!

[ratcatcher]

Hard to believe it, but if there really is nobody here capable of writing a fair charter for the country, well it might be time to either hire foreigners to do it for them, or simply just copy a successful charter from a democratic nation such as Switzerland. Fast, easy, and free.( Inflated advisory fee to be paid into my usual BVI account, thanks Gen.)

Get them to try and copy the British constitution, now, there's a real challenge.

[wabothai]

The next one will be voyed down as well.

[mikemac]

Hard to believe it, but if there really is nobody here capable of writing a fair charter for the country, well it might be time to either hire foreigners to do it for them, or simply just copy a successful charter from a democratic nation such as Switzerland. Fast, easy, and free.( Inflated advisory fee to be paid into my usual BVI account, thanks Gen.)

Well, it seems plagiarism is an acceptable norm.

Well, it seems plagiarism is an acceptable norm.

(Sorry, it seems I just plagiarized your post !)

[tx22cb]

Borwornsak is probably going to get an invitation to an Attitude Adjustment camp.