CDC to change new charter preamble

CDC to change new charter preamble

The Constitutional Court has ruled the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) is eligible to revise the preamble of the new charter before it is submitted for royal endorsement.

In a statement released yesterday, the Constitutional Court said the charter writers are obliged to make changes to the preamble, which mentions the name of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

The ruling follows a petition by the cabinet which asked the court to rule if the preamble of the new charter needs to be amended now the King has passed away.

The cabinet has accepted the new charter from the CDC and is in the process of forwarding it for royal endorsement.

Meanwhile, political parties will be given a 90-day grace period to meet a requirement about membership and branches or they will be dissolved, said a source in the CDC.

Under the organic law on parties being drafted by the CDC, parties are allowed to carry on operating if they meet new requirements.

The key requirement involves the number of party members and branches, said the source.

Under Section 114, parties must have at least one branch in each of the four regions and at least 500 members nationwide. Political parties that fail to meet this requirement within 90 days of the organic law being enforced will be terminated.

According to the source, party regulations are also allowed as long as they are not contrary to the new law. The rules that are not in compliance with the law must be revised within 60 days after the law is enforced or the party will not be eligible to contest the general election.

Party leaders and executives are allowed to remain unless they are disqualified or ineligible to serve under the law.

Section 117 requires parties to submit assets, liabilities and financial statements to the Election Commission within 60 days after the law is enforced or the party will not be eligible to contest a first general election.

According to the source, provisional clauses of the draft law also require the director-general of the Revenue Department to issue new regulations concerning tax deductions for political donations within one year.

CDC spokesman Udom Rathamarit said that at least 15 people are needed to set up a new political party with the support of up to 500 members who are required to pay 2,000 baht each as a start-up fee.

"We estimate that a new political party should have capital of at least one million baht which is raised from the founding members. It's to fund the party's activities," he said.

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