Constitution changes 'not justified'
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The Campaign for Popular Democracy issued a statement yesterday opposing the charter rewrite on grounds that change would serve vested and partisan interests rather than the public.
“The people will gain nothing,” campaign secretary-general Suriyan Thongnu-iad said.
Suriyan said he suspected government lawmakers had an ulterior motive to amend the Constitution in order to “rescue” fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from his conviction and punishment for a conflict of interest.
He said the country’s democratic rule and charter provisions were in order, hence there was no justification for changing the basic law.
He further stated that the Constitution Drafting Assembly, if formed, would be a proxy for politicians to write new rules, designed for partisanship.
He said he would keep a close watch on the charter rewriting process in order to blow the whistle on how the coalition parties were trying to dominate the political system by weakening public checks and balances.
Following the two-day charter debate in Parliament, about one in two people said they did not have sufficient information to form judgement on whether the charter should be amended, Suan Dusit Poll said in a survey released yesterday.
About three in 10 people voiced opposition against rewriting the charter for fear of deepening social division.
Some one in five respondents voiced support for changes in the hope of improving the political system.
When asked how the respondents saw the charter rewrite, the top five opinions were: a trigger for political violence, an unfolding issue to watch, a majority will for change and an unresolved issue.
About three in five people said they disapproved of protests and inappropriate behaviour displayed by MPs during the charter debate on Thursday and Friday.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said Parliament would take the lead role on the charter amendments.
“I hope the charter rewrite will heed the people’s voice and meet their aspirations, leading to social acceptance and peace,” she said.
In a related development, Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said Thaksin should stop inciting the red shirts as a shield to escape his punishment.
Chavanond said Thaksin tried to maintain the loyalty of the red shirts by giving them false hopes.
He repeated the stand of the Democrats that Thaksin should be responsible for paying compensation in connection with the political disturbances in 2010 because he inveigled the red shirts to rally and become involved in rioting.
