Borwornsak rejects CDC advisory post

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Borwornsak rejects CDC advisory post
KASAMAKORN CHANWANPEN
THE NATION


Borwornsak Uwanno, centre, former chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, yesterday poses for a selfie with reporters at the Krungthai Bank

BANGKOK: -- THE CHIEF of the former charter drafting panel, Borwornsak Uwanno, has refused to take an adviser post with the new Constitution Drafting Committee after vowing to stay out of the process when the draft he helped to write was rejected.

But he is willing to help Meechai Ruchupan, the chairman of the new CDC, without taking a formal position. Borwornsak said yesterday that he has informed Meechai of his decision.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said it was a good idea for Borwornsak to become the panel's adviser because the CDC’s chairman Meechai had said he would take the recently rejected draft into account when drafting the new one. The interim constitution did not prohibit the move, the premier said.

Meechai joked that Borwornsak could be an adviser without taking an adviser post.

He said he did not have an official adviser, but the CDC members wanted the secretaries of the three previous charter drafting teams - 1997, 2007 and 2015 - to serve as advisers or consultants.

He said the CDC had invited the relevant independent agencies to a discussion next week on corruption and how the Constitution could help combat graft.

International and Thai norms must be reflected in the constitution, but Meechai said while Western charters were worth looking at, it did not mean the drafters had to take everything from them.

He said his panel was still reviewing its framework. It had gone through six of the 11 points and would look at the NCPO's five principles next.

However, Meechai refused to go into detail about other charter drafting plans, including the possibility of a provision for a super body - the so-called crisis panel - capable of overruling the government.

He said he had not thought about anything yet and was waiting to hear from the press and the public.

Speaking after a CDC meeting yesterday, CDC spokesman Norachit Sinhaseni said the committee would give importance to the "citizens and rights and freedom" when drafting the new constitution.

Norachit said the committee would take into account public opinion from all channels and would not neglect to consider the good points of the previous charters.

He added that the constitution would only include major principles and the details would be stipulated in its organic laws.

The CDC saw the importance of educating the people so it would produce documents in the future to enhance public understanding.

Norachit said the CDC yesterday resolved to figure out the political rights of candidates running in elections in relation to their qualifications.

He said the CDC would also deliberate on the charter mechanism aimed at creating transparency and promoting a checks-and-balance system.

It would also consider the government's responsibility to educate the people, especially in the area of codes of conduct.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Borwornsak-rejects-CDC-advisory-post-30270503.html


-- The Nation 2015-10-09

[Tatsujin]

Headless chickens ... please bring in an "outside" constitution drafting expert to oversee things ... then you might actually get a constitution that lasts for more than a few years.

Edited October 9, 2015 by Tatsujin

[Srikcir]

Borwornsak is out but in. It looks like "Spanky's Gang is ready to rumble."