Panels edge towards pardon for politicians

News » Politics

POLITICS

Panels edge towards pardon for politicians

Charter ban clause 'cause of quagmire'

Published: 14/05/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

Parliamentary subcommittees looking at national reconciliation and charter amendment appear to be working towards pardoning politicians banned for electoral fraud.

The two panels are also mulling whether to protect parties and their executives from exclusion from politics in the event of future poll fraud.

At the first meeting of the subcommittee on national reconciliation headed by Senator Tuang Anthachai yesterday, Puea Thai Party MP Prakiat Nasima said the country's political quagmire was a direct result of the 2007 constitution, Article 237 of which allowed parties to be dissolved. This upset people who had supported those parties which were banned.

Mr Prakiat proposed amending the constitution to end party dissolutions and to pardon the 220 politicians banned from politics under the 2007 charter enacted after the September 2006 coup.Democrat Party MP Supachai Srila argued the political crisis was caused by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, his interference in the work of independent organisations and his abuse of authority.

But Mr Tuang said he would pass on Mr Prakiat's proposal to pardon the 220 banned politicians to the parliamentary panel for reconciliation.

For its part, the subcommittee on constitutional amendment will today look at the possibility of changing Article 237, as proposed by Puea Thai member Paichit Sriworakhan.

It resolved yesterday to revive the 1997 constitution's stipulations on the appointment of members of the lower house.

The constitution provided for 400 MPs to come from elections in their individual constituencies and the other 100 from proportional representation polling.

Senator Lertrat Ratanawanit concluded the resolution by ignoring reservations from some subcommittee members.

He said the subcommittee would look at only a few of the charter's articles because of limited time it has been granted.

Gen Lertrat said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had told parliament of his support for changing Article 237.

Subcommittee member Chirmsak Pinthong said social conflicts had not resulted from the 2007 constitution. They began in 2006 when the 1997 charter was still in effect.

Amending the 2007 constitution would only fuel the conflicts in society because certain parties want to change the charter to help vested interests, Mr Chirmsak said. If the subcommittee only supported what politicians demanded, then it would be considered just a rubber stamp of political parties, he said.

About the author

Writer: AEKARACH SATTABURUTH and MONGKOL BANGPRAPA

Keep this article in your social bookmark:

Latest stories in this category:

Share your thoughts

For more candid, lengthy, conversational and open discussion between one another, use our Forum

Report objectionable comments click here. Include: discussion #, commenter name, comment date / time as it looks on the page. Example: discussion 15: 09/01/2009 at 10:00 AM.

LOBO13

Discussion 5 : 14/05/2009 at 05:32 PM5
Panels edge towards pardon for politicians they Knowningly broke the Law and then made a joke of the Laws of the socity and Thai People.
Ok then we must all break the Laws steal what you want, Lie anytime, forget driving Laws and rules, if there is Amisity then there is no laws and no Thailand to the rest of the world we are a Joke.
will last person leaving THailand please turn out the Lights.
IT IS TIME TO DECLAIR WAR ON ALL POLITICANS AND START OVER
terry

Discussion 4 : 14/05/2009 at 03:25 PM4
So, fraud by politicians can be pardoned? or forgiven? What kind of signal are you giving to the masses? That there's one set of rules for the elites and the rich, and another for the masses?

A con man or thief stealing 100 bahts gets beaten, even tortured by the police and end up in prison for some time while the politicians get a reprieve? Not even spending a day behind bars?And they stand to gain millions if not billions if they're back in power. Does this make sense?

Oh! I forgot, they were the very people who make the laws. So they have to take care of themselves and their kins, who afterall will be following in their footsteps.

Small wonder why the poor and unfairly treated citizens symphatise with terrorists and hoodlums.They get a better deal with them.

Some things never change, even in the Land of Smiles.
Dr No

Discussion 3 : 14/05/2009 at 02:25 PM3
Very good, and the next thing should be an appointed representative (preferably someone whose father had his hand in the cookie jar and is living well of the stolen money (for instance mister Choonhavan or miss Banharn) to strike a deal with Thaksin so we can all work on a better Thailand.
We can do without people like Chirmsak and all those politicians who accepted an invitation from the military to man a completely fake parliament in order to make an act of treason look legal.
John

Discussion 2 : 14/05/2009 at 01:12 PM2
This is ridiculous. Politicians found guilty should be subject to the bar as provided. It makes no sense though to ban the party and the executive over the actions of the individual. The return to 20 per cent of the House being appointed is a retrograde step and shows the government is a mouth-piece for the PAD.
Peter

Discussion 1 : 14/05/2009 at 12:44 PM1
Hopefully common sense will prevail and agreement can be reached that Article 237 was a harmful gross overeaction to alleged abuses of power by Thaksin. It needs to be replaced by a more realistic approach to dealing with electoral fraud, which Article 237 magnified out of all proportion.

LOBO13

Discussion 5 : 14/05/2009 at 05:32 PM5

Panels edge towards pardon for politicians they Knowningly broke the Law and then made a joke of the Laws of the socity and Thai People.
Ok then we must all break the Laws steal what you want, Lie anytime, forget driving Laws and rules, if there is Amisity then there is no laws and no Thailand to the rest of the world we are a Joke.
will last person leaving THailand please turn out the Lights.
IT IS TIME TO DECLAIR WAR ON ALL POLITICANS AND START OVER

terry

Discussion 4 : 14/05/2009 at 03:25 PM4

So, fraud by politicians can be pardoned? or forgiven? What kind of signal are you giving to the masses? That there's one set of rules for the elites and the rich, and another for the masses?

A con man or thief stealing 100 bahts gets beaten, even tortured by the police and end up in prison for some time while the politicians get a reprieve? Not even spending a day behind bars?And they stand to gain millions if not billions if they're back in power. Does this make sense?

Oh! I forgot, they were the very people who make the laws. So they have to take care of themselves and their kins, who afterall will be following in their footsteps.

Small wonder why the poor and unfairly treated citizens symphatise with terrorists and hoodlums.They get a better deal with them.

Some things never change, even in the Land of Smiles.

Dr No

Discussion 3 : 14/05/2009 at 02:25 PM3

Very good, and the next thing should be an appointed representative (preferably someone whose father had his hand in the cookie jar and is living well of the stolen money (for instance mister Choonhavan or miss Banharn) to strike a deal with Thaksin so we can all work on a better Thailand.
We can do without people like Chirmsak and all those politicians who accepted an invitation from the military to man a completely fake parliament in order to make an act of treason look legal.

John

Discussion 2 : 14/05/2009 at 01:12 PM2

This is ridiculous. Politicians found guilty should be subject to the bar as provided. It makes no sense though to ban the party and the executive over the actions of the individual. The return to 20 per cent of the House being appointed is a retrograde step and shows the government is a mouth-piece for the PAD.

Peter

Discussion 1 : 14/05/2009 at 12:44 PM1

Hopefully common sense will prevail and agreement can be reached that Article 237 was a harmful gross overeaction to alleged abuses of power by Thaksin. It needs to be replaced by a more realistic approach to dealing with electoral fraud, which Article 237 magnified out of all proportion.

Panels edge towards pardon for politicians