CDC head assures commission working free of influence

BANGKOK, 19 February 2016 (NNT) – The head of the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) has affirmed that the body is working without influence and within the framework set by the interim constitution.

CDC Chairman Meechai Ruchupan, addressing staff at the Royal Thai Army Headquarters on the details of the draft charter, pointed out that in the new document, senators will not have to be aligned with any particular political party and will be selected in an indirect manner. He explained that the new approach is to allow more members of the public to be able to take part in the nation’s politics.

He also clarified that the prime minister will be selected from 3 names to be proposed by the leading party and will not have to be a Member of Parliament, as in such a system members would have yet to be elected.

On vote buying, the CDC head said the Election Commission must be enhanced with powers such as the ability to suspend candidates suspected of electoral fraud. Such candidates, if found by a court to have violated election law, will be banned for life from politics. He noted that measures must also be taken to ensure unity under the constitution, which he let on has been dubbed the “anti-cheating charter”.

Meechai also took the opportunity to assure that the CDC is working free from influence and within the framework of the interim constitution.


-- NNT 2016-02-19

Yes sure, no influence whatsoever. If that is the case, they are a bunch of fools.

Edited February 19, 201610 yr by Reigntax

Yeah, right. And I still believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and that the moon is made of green cheese.

From NNT.

Your local Propaganda Network.

Why does is always look like that guy has had a few...

If the government was elected I would say yes , however you will not convince me that a Army Junta lead by a former Commander in Chief of the Thai forces and an Ex General would allow such behaviour as a free working what , silly of me to even bother to reply to unmitigated garbage.................................. .

They appointed a doddery old man who's made a dogs breakfast of this job in the past and let him do the job without any oversight? Right ...

Edited February 19, 201610 yr by Snig27

If the prime minister post is selected by the leading party does that mean that the leading party can choose all 3 from their parties? Maybe translation errors but that is how it reads to me

Wow.

Let's keep washing our clothes in dirty water.

A new tidbit. The EC could suspend any politician "suspected" of electoral fraud.

Note to self: determine how EC will be controlled.

Being personally appointed by NCPO Chief General Prayut as Chairman of the CDC, working within the framework of the NCPO interim and adhering to the NCPO agenda for the draft constitution does raise the issue of being under the influence of the Junta.

A new tidbit. The EC could suspend any politician "suspected" of electoral fraud.

Note to self: determine how EC will be controlled.

Identified by Khemthong Tonsakulrungruang¹ on Feb. 5, 2016 in Life Under Thailand's 2016 Constitution (excerpt):

"The draft’s stringent standards have severely limited political rights. The CDC demands that an MP must truly be the representative of the people and an honest man. A candidate must gain more votes than votes of abstention to win an election. Otherwise, that election is void. A re-election shall be held, but candidates of the first round will be disqualified. In the case of suspected electoral fraud, the Election Commission can ban that candidate for a year. If a candidate is found guilty, a ban from politics is extended from five to 10 years. Under this constitution, the life of a politician can’t be more perilous."

¹Graduate the Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University, LLM at Yale Law School. Currently PhD candidate at University of Bristol School of Law, UK. Member Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, in 2009. Served in the Legal Advisory Committee to the 2010 cabinet as well as the Constitution Amendment Commission.

' Assures ' joins the long list, with old favourites like Honestly, Believe Me, Trust Me When I Say, I Promise / Pledge etc., of words that immediate trigger belief in the very opposite.

Prove it to us and bring back the 1997 constitution

Anyone remember The Meakon of Dan Dare fame in the Eagle comic?