CDC unveils first charter draft, vows to collect more input from all sides

Surapan Laotharanarit

BANGKOK, 29 January 2016 (NNT) – The Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) has made a public debut of its first draft of the new charter while affirming that suggestions from all sectors will continue to be gathered for a more complete version.

CDC Chairman Meechai Ruchuphan presided over a press conference to announce details of the first charter draft. He said the draft is primarily targeted to prevent and clamp down on corruption as it carries a lifetime political ban on any individual with a record of corruption.

The draft obligates the Cabinet to administer the country with honesty while the Office of the Ombudsman will be in charge of the examination process and political office holders will need endorsement from the Constitutional Court. As for independent organizations, Mr Meechai insisted that the draft does not give them too much power but only adds more clarity to their operations.

Regarding the electoral system, the CDC Chairman said the draft allows for full participation by the public. Voting will be conducted in the form of mixed-member proportional representation while the name of each party’s candidate for prime minister must be disclosed to the public beforehand. Senators, meanwhile, will come from an indirect election to avert intervention by politicians and capitalists.

Mr Meechai assured that the charter draft was not engineered to extend the power of the current government. Nonetheless, members of the National Legislative Assembly, the National Reform Steering Assembly, the National Council for Peace and Order and the Cabinet will not be deprived of their political rights as they were not directly involved in the charter drafting process.

The CDC Chairman reiterated that this is not the final draft of the new constitution. The commission will continue to compile opinions and suggestions from all sides in a bid to make further adjustments for the sake of the nation and its people.

-- NNT 2016-01-30

Its all a game.

Reacting to Mr Meechai's remarks, Pheu Thai's Worachai Hema said it is clear the draft is designed to be shot down at the referendum so that the military junta can hold on to power.

He suspected that after the draft was rejected, the NCPO chief would use his power under Section 44 of the interim charter to call elections and a new government would come under its control.

"members of the National Legislative Assembly, the National Reform Steering Assembly, the National Council for Peace and Order and the Cabinet will not be deprived of their political rights as they were not directly involved in the charter drafting process."

Even though their existence as unelected members of government resulting from a military coup that suspended the rights and liberties of the Thai people. Good to know that the pro-royalists' rights were never lost.

Are we allowed to have an opinion now and even speak?

To para phrase a TVF poster who had earlier stated the military came in only with no intention to

cleanup corruption, or do any type of reconciliation or reform.

Their main goal is to ensure the unmentioned-to-be event is controlled as planned by the military.

A public debut. Anyone here who has a pointer to the English translation assuming there is a translation already ?

This is going to be a mass debate until nobody can remember what it was all about

If you win, you need not have to explain...If you lose, you should not be there to explain!

― Adolf Hitler

A public debut. Anyone here who has a pointer to the English translation assuming there is a translation already ?

I think Smedly does, he has been extolling the virtues of the anti corruption elements in it, so i presume he has a copy.

A public debut. Anyone here who has a pointer to the English translation assuming there is a translation already ?

I think Smedly does, he has been extolling the virtues of the anti corruption elements in it, so i presume he has a copy.

Well, some here have been equally or even more vocal about the anti-democratic elements in it.