Law body calls for new charter based on 1974 model

The Independent National Rule of Law Commission yesterday called for the framing of a new constitution modelled on the discarded 1974 charter and the holding of two referendums before and after the rewrite.
“Parliament should abandon the third reading of the charter amendment bill in order to organise the referendum on the issue,” NRLC chairman Ukrit Mongkolnavin said in a statement.
The first referendum on whether to scrap the current 2007 Constitution should offer the people an alternative, otherwise |they would be left in the dark as to what the replacement would be, |he said.
The 1974 charter was a good choice for an alternative since it was considered as the most democratic and liberal.
Should the public agree to the overhaul of the political system, the new edition would emulate the provisions in the 1974 charter.
The new version should be written by an assembly formed by the Cabinet and then vetted by Parliament.
The drafting panel should include MPs, senators and members appointed from a pool of academics and professionals.
The proposed charter would need to pass the second referendum before going into effect.
The whole process should be completed within 15 months, he added.
Pheu Thai MP Kokaew Pikulthong, a red-shirt leader, said the most likely choice for amending the Constitution was avoiding a vote on the third reading of the charter amendment bill and starting the process anew by focusing on specific articles.
“If we go ahead with the third reading of the amendment bill it means we’re ready to face a conflict,” he said.
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, his boss, wants to see reconciliation in the country so he might not choose a way that would lead to more strife, he said.
A key point to amending by article is to water down independent organisations’ ability to topple the government easily.
“For example, the power of the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Constitution Court should be changed,” he added.
The government is waiting to see the Constitution Court’s full verdict and the individual opinions of the eight judges before deciding on how to proceed with charter amendment.
The spokesman for the court said the written verdict is almost finished.
“It could be sent to the judges’ meeting next Wednesday before it is released to the complainants and respondents.”