The pot isboiling over

The pot isboiling over

Some proposals for the new constitution are not going down too well - With Gen Prem's imprimatur, Gen Prayut feels less pressure not to honour his roadmap - ACM Prajin's disarming manner shields him from the harshest of questions

The task of writing the constitution has been compared to cooking, with many cooks in danger of spoiling the broth.

If the comparison were valid, Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) chairman Bowornsak Uwanno would be the head chef who ensures all the ingredients blend in nicely to create a dish that is pleasing to the palate.

Bowornsak: In Hell’s Kitchen

He compares the charter-drafting process with the preparation of kaeng som, the popular spicy-sour soup which becomes exceptional culinary fare at the hands of a team of masters. Similarly, constitution drafting requires intuitive public input that produces the right kind of ingredients for a document that is well-rounded and full of national reform flavours. 

But as the writing proceeds, critics are having a field day attacking crucial content. Primarily, there is much discussion about the direct election of a prime minister. There has been an outpouring of anger against those responsible for the idea of leaning toward a presidential system and for trying to install a prime minister with total authority to rule the country through the direct mandate entrusted to him or her by the people.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, one of the country's leading legal experts, issued a veiled warning to some of the charter writers that they should not go overboard when it comes to figuring out what should be included.

Apparently, many issues that have been proposed are merely to test public reaction − and they have received plenty of brickbats.

More controversial, test-the-water ideas might come up in the coming months as the drafting process advances to a critical mass late this year when it is put to the National Reform Council (NRC) and the National Council for Peace and Order for consideration. If rejected, the charter rewrite goes back to square one, which will add months, if not years, to the timeline for holding the next general election. 

Heavy debate has also centred in recent weeks on the proposed alteration of the general election system with the adoption of the German polling method.

CDC spokesman Lertrat Rattanawanich said the drafters had resolved to adopt the mixed-member proportional (MMP) representation system after listening to Parinya Thewanarumitkul, a law lecturer and the vice-rector of Thammasat University, who backs the model.

Under this MMP model, 250 MPs would be drawn from constituencies and 200 from the party list, for a total of 450 MPs in all.

It would seem, according to critics, that the kaeng som is being embellished with a foreign ingredient − a German sausage is being thrown in. It remains to be seen whether this adaptation of the dish will be palatable and receive the NRC's stamp of approval. 

Mr Bowornsak called on the charter writers to be patient and open-minded to suggestions. They should refrain from hitting back at the critics as it is impossible to counter every negative comment. 

Thawilwadee Bureekul, a charter writer and chair of the sub-committee compiling public opinion of the charter, said further debate will be held to weigh the ideas and issues to be included in the constitution document. It would be premature to assume the proposals about charter content now being floated are set in concrete.

Prem: In praise of Prayut

Stamp of approval

Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda is a man of few words. But when he does come out with a comment, everyone listens.

So when he opened his Si Sao Thewes residence to the country's administrators this week, reporters were all ears as to what he planned to tell them. But as with every occasion like this when people call on him to convey their wishes, the privy council chief failed to stick to the script.

Last year, in a break with tradition, Gen Prem did not open his residence to visitors because the anti-Yingluck Shinawatra administration protests were building up steam.

This year, Gen Prem was very much at ease as he welcomed the top brass led by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is also head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

Visibly relaxed, Gen Prem praised Gen Prayut and said the former army chief can remain in the government beyond his one-year roadmap time frame.

"The prime minister does not have to retire as he is not a civil servant," Gen Prem said.

He was responding to a question about the government and the NCPO having only a one-year timetable to do all that is required under their roadmap, including the monumental task of rewriting the charter and materialising national reforms.

Gen Prem is the latest public figure to say that the Prayut government may have to stay in office beyond the NCPO's initial time frame.

The government has said the general election could be held in early 2016 instead of the end of 2015, which it predicted earlier.

Gen Prem has credited Gen Prayut with being a soldier who can lead Thailand capably. He said now that Gen Prayut has set out on the path of running the country, there is no turning back.

The fact that he expressed his support for Gen Prayut did much to quell rumours which had swirled earlier about the two generals not seeing eye-to-eye due to the NCPO reportedly tending not to seek Gen Prem's advice on national administration after the May 22 coup, according to observers.

The open support from Gen Prem is widely interpreted as confirmation that there is no conflict between the privy president, the government and the NCPO.

Gen Prayut also said to Gen Prem that if the privy council president had anything to ask of him, he was willing to be of service.

Gen Prayut said he appreciated Gen Prem's praise very much but he told himself he would not go overboard with the adulation.

He insists he has every intention of sticking to the roadmap timetable. He has always dismissed any insinuation that he might be contemplating going into politics full-time after the next general election.

"I don't want to stay on too long. I will remain [in government] only for as long as is necessary," he said.

Observers say although Gen Prem and his close aides may not be involved in the business of advising the government, his charisma has not lost its shine.

Taming the news hounds

Most newcomers to the cabinet, especially those with little public speaking experience, feel nervous when facing a media scrum.

Hard-nosed reporters who have covered the political beat for years often shoot blunt questions which leave some ministers blinded by the limelight feeling shell-shocked.

Much interest was aroused among the political reporters when ACM Prajin Juntong took up the portfolio of transport minister.

As it turned out, ACM Prajin appeared before the cameras in a cool, calm and reserved manner. His gentle demeanour made quite a few reporters feel a bit more favourable towards him.

His soft-spoken replies also are a departure from the tough-talking political big men that the reporters are more familiar with.

ACM Prajin is entrusted by the National Council for Peace and Order with the supervision of one of the A-list ministries which handles vast investments in transport infrastructure nationwide. The transport portfolio is putting a heavy burden on the shoulders of the retired air force chief.

One of the top priorities at the ministry is to draft investment plans for an overhaul of national transport infrastructure.

The plans, which involve the allocation of approximately 1.9 trillion baht over the next 10 years, will direct the government in choosing various financial sources to support the construction and improvement of roads, railways, airports and deep-sea ports.

Among channels for the government to obtain money are the state budget, funds such as the infrastructure fund, and loans.

The Transport Ministry is expected to use the infrastructure fund for electric railway projects.

Early in his tenure as transport minister, ACM Prajin had the difficult task of sifting through projects left behind by the toppled government of Yingluck Shinawatra and deciding which of them should be continued and which the ministry should ditch.

Transport experts say the minister must be feeling the political heat, which is fully understandable. He appears to be handling the pressure well so far, according to the experts.

ACM Prajin has also taken on a major project involving China. Two weeks ago in Bangkok, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang witnessed the signing of the development project for a dual-track railway in Thailand.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the train project was signed at Government House by ACM Prajin and Xu Shaoshi, the chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission.

Under the MoU, China will build the country's first standard-gauge tracks on two routes. The first route will be from Nong Khai province to the Map Ta Phut deep-sea port in Rayong province via Nakhon Ratchasima province and Kaeng Khoi district in Saraburi province. It will cover 734 kilometres.

The other line is from Kaeng Khoi station to Bangkok covering 133km.

China will be responsible for the construction and development of the rail system and the financial support and the construction costs of the project.

On the lighter side, ACM Prajin has taken an interest in the art of astrology and feng shui since his younger days in the air force. He taught himself to read a person's star and its cosmic movements.

As a young air force officer, reading palms and telling fortunes drew the attention of many women − with no complaints from him.

ACM Prajin said studying a person's star could reveal a person's character, which may come in handy with a business contact or negotiations.

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