Govt steps up charter rewrite bid

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Govt steps up charter rewrite bid

Sick Yingluck to sit out Constitution Day tribute

Published: 10 Dec 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

The government will celebrate Constitution Day on Monday by stepping up its campaign to rewrite the charter.

Prime Minister's Office Minister Varathep Rattanakorn said leaders of the government coalition parties will meet to discuss their strategy to amend the constitution.

The party leaders will place floral garlands at parliament to mark the national holiday, which celebrates the 80th anniversary since the signing of Thailand's first permanent constitution.

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banmebkk
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Discussion 21 : 11 Dec 2012 at 10.1621
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@Disc 18 - "ith restriction on freedom of expression and political activities" can you name a clause on the 2007 charter that they change which restricts freedom of expression?

There are more restrictions now because it is more detailed, that is why people are complaining. But not all is bad. Another one of the bad revisions in the 2007 charter is that it gave too much power back to official and courts, that is something positive from the 1997 charter. I think 2007 is a positive step forward but needs changing, 2012 is merely aimed at freeing "political prisoners". If they removed that clause i'm sure nobody will have any problem.
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bubpa
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Discussion 20 : 10 Dec 2012 at 18.2420
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Disc.19: You must be kidding! This government has so much power in the parliament that it believes nobody can give it any restriction. Why would it want to change the constitution? How would the new charter benefit all Thais or a certain individual?
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farang22
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Discussion 19 : 10 Dec 2012 at 17.1019
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Thats the thing about politics, you have to listen to what the people say and decide whether you like the changes they are suggesting. Do not assume they are doing this for "this" reason or "that", just because someone else says so. Use your ears. Think about what is said. The 2007 constitution puts too many restrictions on Parliamentary democracy, too many checks to its smooth running. For that reason alone it needs amending. I'm not suggesting any amnesty, because I support Charter Amendment. Don't assume. Listen.
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homosapien
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Discussion 18 : 10 Dec 2012 at 16.5918
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K. banmebkk #17

There're at least TWO fatal flaws in the 2007 charter. One is, as you said, the amnesty. The other is the reinstatement of UNELECTED senators.

In terms of due process, it was written at the behest of the dictators with their arbitrary rules and with restriction on freedom of expression and political activities. What's more, the referendum was held under the emergency law in place in several areas and with the threat of maintaining its status quo until the 1997 charter would be amended wihout further referendum should the public dared to say no.

All in all, it's clear that the new constitution is badly needed.
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banmebkk
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Discussion 17 : 10 Dec 2012 at 16.0917
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Why can't just people admit the 1997, 2007, and 2012 charters are all flaw and still full with holes. All of them has at least one clause that protects the corrupt. The 2007 charter closed many of them except for coup makers, but other than that most were positive changes.

2012 charter wants to go backwards and give amnesty to criminals, and reinstate the governments right to suspend media licenses, give MP amnesty again regardless of what they do. Don't people see the 2012 is moving backwards?
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homosapien
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Discussion 16 : 10 Dec 2012 at 14.4016
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Drafting the new constiution is a power of the parliament. The judicial branch has no constitutional right to interfere with that except to ensure the 'due process' of the amendment as stipulated in the Constitition. It's OK that the Court required the referendum be made before enacting it. But prior to that, it's totally in the realm of the legislative jurisdiction.

PS Don't be so nasty about the possibility that it's meant to pardon someone if you said 'yes' (and still don't feel a tinge of contrition) to the 2007 Constitution which gave an amnesty to the coup makers!
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Hypocrisy
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Discussion 15 : 10 Dec 2012 at 13.4115
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"The court ruled that a wholesale charter rewrite without a referendum would be unconstitutional."

Logically speaking, this then makes the present constitution a total farce!

How can these educated people come up with this nonsense?
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peterl
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Discussion 14 : 10 Dec 2012 at 12.3714
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The constitution court's ruling is flawed because no referendum was held PRIOR to the drafting of the 2007 charter. A referendum was held to approve that constitution, but only after it had been drafted by a committee appointed by an unelected government itself appointed by the generals who staged the 2006 coup. There also was an understanding at the time that the 2007 charter could be amended later on, and that understanding was indeed one of the main reasons it was (narrowly) endorsed in a referendum. The court's ruling implies a coup maker's appointed government has greater legitimacy than one that is democratically elected.
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bubpa
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Discussion 13 : 10 Dec 2012 at 12.3113
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Tamsin, discussion 12
Was the election in 2011 clear and transparent?
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tamsin
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Discussion 12 : 10 Dec 2012 at 12.0512
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Has there ever been a referendum held in Thailand? Would it be conducted clearly and transparently, the same as the elections?
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Govt steps up charter rewrite bid | Bangkok Post: news