CDC plans to slap immoral Thai politicians with a lifetime ban

[webfact]

NEW CHARTER
CDC plans to slap immoral politicians with a lifetime ban
THE NATION

BANGKOK: - THE Constitution Drafting Commission is planning to issue a lifetime ban on politicians and state officials found to have violated the principles of morality and ethics, CDC chairman Meechai Ruchupan said yesterday.

The CDC had earlier decided to include provisions in the charter that slam a lifetime ban on politicians found to be corrupt, in a bid to curb graft. Now the move to lay out rules on morals and ethics is seen as an attempt to set a higher bar for officials to meet.

Meechai said the CDC is thinking about drafting rules on ethics and morals to govern all state sectors, including the political sector.

"Everybody, especially those in the field of politics, must conform to moral and ethical standards, otherwise they will be dismissed and banned for life from politics," Meechai said.

He was responding to a proposal from Phra Buddha Issara, former core leader of the People's Democratic Reform Committee, who yesterday called for the establishment of a "Moral and Ethical Assembly" to monitor the behaviour of political office holders.

Phra Buddha Issara urged Meechai to uphold the "Civic Assembly" provision included in the previous draft by the Borwornsak Uwanno-led CDC, saying that such an agency would empower people to check local government.

The monk also called for an amendment to the Sangha Act, saying the current regulation, does not punish monks who commit offences. He led 50 devout Buddhists to Parliament to hand Meechai a proposal on reforming the current monastic regulations.

"For instance, Phra Dhammachayo, abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, who the Supreme Patriarch had ordered to be defrocked for embezzlement and for claiming that he had attained enlightenment, escaped justice," the monk said.

He said the ecclesiastic regulations governing monks needed reforms.

Meechai said he realised that Buddhism was in the danger of being abused, and vowed to write a clear law in the draft charter that stipulates how the government can prevent religion from being used wrongly.

Meanwhile, Suwat Nualkhao, president of the Thai Logistics and Production Society, submitted a proposal to the CDC to separate the role of constituency and party-list MPs.

He said the former should not come under the banner of any party as they only have a legislative role, not an executive one. However, party-list MPs must come under a political party and they had a duty to check on the government.

Under this system, Parliament would have no opposition or executive role. "This will help ease political conflicts and nepotism," he said.

Senators would be selected, with one from each province. They could screen laws and appoint independent agencies, but would have no right to pass or veto any law, Suwat said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/CDC-plans-to-slap-immoral-politicians-with-a-lifet-30272612.html


-- The Nation 2015-11-10

[NongKhaiKid]

Never happen, too many vested interests involved but keep talking as that's all that can be expected.

Rules on morals and ethics, does that even translate into Thai ?

[selftaopath]

I'm not even going to read past the headline. I think from now on I'm not reading anything (Thai) that suggests PLAN.

Where the hell is ACTION????? Is there any to be found? SHOW US. DON'T TELL US.

[jaidam]

Call me a cynic, but this is all about leverage. The bigger the stick they wield, the larger and sweeter the carrot you must offer them.

[tigermoth]

Rules on morals and ethics???? I think not. If common person doesn't know what is right and wrong then god help us all. Mixing politics with religion is a recipe for disaster. We all have a religion to follow be it christianity, bhuddism, moslem, and they have their own rules for life. To interfere with it by political means is very big NO. That has always resulted in terrorism, bloodshed and total collapse of communities and nations.

[tigermoth]

Rules on morals and ethics???? I think not. If common person doesn't know what is right and wrong then god help us all. Mixing politics with religion is a recipe for disaster. We all have a religion to follow be it christianity, bhuddism, moslem, and they have their own rules for life. To interfere with it by political means is very big NO. That has always resulted in terrorism, bloodshed and total collapse of communities and nations.

Just to add to the above, the constitution should forbid religion and politics having any association. In almost all democratic countries this is so as well as keeping the military out of politics.

[whatproblem]

I have never met a Thai with any morals,they are all self interest seeking people ,except your wife ,I know.

[FangFerang]

"Now the move to lay out rules on morals and ethics is seen as an attempt to set a higher bar for officials to meet."

No. It's to get rid of anyone they don't like with trumped up charges, phished emails and outright lies.

"Meechai said he realised that Buddhism was in the danger of being abused, and vowed to write a clear law in the draft charter that stipulates how the government can prevent religion from being used wrongly."

Um, which form of Buddhism, and according to what spokesperson? And what about the other religions? And why is Pra Budda Issara on stage with the CDC, when he is involved in politics, which the Tripitaka forbids?

[Lupatria]

Soon we will read about immoral politicians punished with "inactive lifetime ban".

[Tchooptip]

I have never met a Thai with any morals,they are all self interest seeking people ,except your wife ,I know.

Sorry for you, but birds of a feather flock together.

[elgordo38]

Maybe they should consult Burma on how to draft the new constitution. Constitutions used to protect the people from harm but today? not so much so. The new ones are mostly straight jacket constitutions.

[Srikcir]

The previous draft constitution failed NRC approval because it had too many extreme provisions that not even a junta-appointed body could accept. Why does Meechai think that adding even more extreme provisions to the next draft will be any more acceptable?

Meechai's goal seems to be about how many bizarre twists and turns can he put into the new draft to assure its complete rejection - again.

Either he is being extremely clever towards some unobvious hidden agenda or lacks an appreciation of what people's self-determination means. Either way he is not serving the Thai people and cheapening their sovereignty.

[phoenixdoglover]

The Draft Charter from April, along with these recent comments about changes to the Charter, give some insight into the malleable and shifting nature of the Thai Morality Test (my term, not theirs).

In the April draft, the phrase "Good Morals" appears nine times.

The draft Charter does not define "Good Morals".

Instead the draft empowers an entity known as The National Moral Assembly.

The composition and formation of The National Moral Assembly is left for another day (details, details). Here's the defining phrase:

Composition, acquisition, powers and duties, inquisitional method and proceedings of the National Moral Assembly as well as any other necessary matter shall be in accordance with the law on National Moral Assembly.

However The National Moral Assembly is handed some pretty substantial powers, given the Charter's fascination with morality:

The ethical standard of political leader and each kind of State official shall be in accordance with the Code of Ethics prepared or approved by the National Moral Assembly and there shall establish the efficient mechanism and system for enforcement of the Code of Ethics as well as procedure for punishment according to gravity of violation.

The punishment is not defined either, except for Removal from office under Section 253:

...the National Assembly shall have the power to remove such person [an "immoral" politician] from office.

And the Thai people are also fair game for the moral standard established by this assembly.

The National Moral Assembly shall have the powers and duties in implanting and enhancing ethics of the people as well as the person holding public position and having any other power and duty.

The Senate gets particular attention:

Senate appointments - fifty‐eight members selected from qualified persons with morals...

Senate candidates for elected members - In this case, each Changwat shall have not more than ten qualified and moral candidates to be elected. ... There shall be the Candidates Screening Committee to find out and screen not more than ten qualified and moral persons in each Changwat

Also of interest is the Morality Nullification Clause (again, my term) in virtually every section covering basic human rights. In effect, Thai people will have all of these rights, unless the government determines that there is a reason to restrict or deny these rights to protect "Good morals".

Here's the umbrella statement:

A person can invoke human dignity, exercise his right to freedom and exercise his rights and liberties in so far as it is not violation of rights

and liberties of other persons or contrary to this Constitution or public order or good morals.

Combining the old and the new...it would appear that a National Moral Assembly, to be defined at a later date, will have some interesting powers...and the punishment may be escalated to lifetime ban.

On balance, I would recommend the Charter drafters reorganize all of these sections under a combined section, and for purposes of clarity name it Section XX - Purging Politicians Based on Unspecified Moral Lapses as Defined by Some Good People to be Named Later (also known as "The Suthep Gambit")

Edited November 10, 2015 by phoenixdoglover

[exbikey]

'CDC plans to slap immoral Thai politicians with a lifetime ban'

I think Father Christmas's response to this announcement sums it up best, and I quote

"Ho Ho Ho"