Protect key charter clauses: Senator

Senator Kamnoon Sitthisaman raised the move to promote Buddhism as the national religion during the drafting of the 1997 and 2007 charters as an example.

“There are many controversial issues on which society cannot agree. Is it suitable for these issues to be brought up?”

Kamnoon and Senator Sumon Sutaviriyawat also proposed a clause regarding natural resources such as petroleum. They proposed an independent agency to regulate such use in terms of sustainability.

Yesterday was the 12th day of a second reading of the change to the constitutional clause on charter amendment that allows the establishment of a Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA). It was the second day of deliberation into Article 291/11. Speakers said the time frame of charter drafting should be increased from 240 days to 360.

The draft says the CDA’s term ends unless it finishes work within the time frame. Democrat MP Supachai Srila said that if the CDA cannot finish its work in time, the 1997 Constitution should be used in the interim.

Many speakers said it should be indicated in the draft that the 1997 or the 2007 Constitution be used as the model.

The Article 291/11 draft says the CDA can use any constitution that is highly democratic as the model.

Samart Kaewmeechai, chairman of the ad hoc panel on charter amendment, said the draft law would allow the CDA to use any constitution, even foreign ones, as models.

Samart said the 240-day time frame was based on the time it took to draft the 1997 Constitution.

Article 291/7, which has already passed, protects the CDA from being scrapped if the House of Representatives is dissolved or reaches the end of its term, without time counting until the new House starts its work.

Against many speakers’ concerns, Somsak said the Article 291/11 draft already protected the changes to the clauses related to the political system, the form of the state and the monarchy as in the current charter.

There was chaos in the evening after Parliament president and House Speaker Somsak Kiartsuranont ordered Parliament Police to wai and “carry” Democrat MP Watchara Petchthong out of the chamber after Watchara spoke for more than 30 minutes without making a point.

Watchara also talked about the ill intent of the charter change and mentioned former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, which caused Pheu Thai MPs to protest.

After warning him several times, Somsak eventually allowed Watchara to continue.

That caused more than half an hour of further debate, with Democrats saying Somsak was too harsh while the Pheu Thai MPs said the Speaker should have been more decisive.