Political reform agenda expected to lead to charter change

The latest move for reform – the political reform forum – initiated by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, is also expected to end up with charter changes.

 

This scenario was confirmed by Deputy Prime Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana, who said, “it must be so” when asked if the political reform could lead to constitutional changes.

 

This is the reason why Banharn Silapa-archa, de facto leader of the coalition Chart Thai Pattana Party, was the first person invited by the government to join the political reform effort on August 3. During his premiership in 1995-1996, Banharn played an important role in the political reform efforts that led to the 1997 Constitution.

 

Coalition figures are claiming credit for their parties about the political reform idea.

 

Chart Thai Pattana politicians said the new political reform was proposed by Banharn. But a key Pheu Thai figure insisted that the idea came from politicians close to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

 

However, former commerce minister Wattana Muangsuk, a close aide to Thaksin, denied it was Thaksin’s idea.

 

“It’s the prime minister’s idea. She hopes political reform becomes a national agenda because an election is not the only answer for Thailand. She wants the people who have no political power to work with the government to solve the nation’s problems,” Wattana said.

 

Yingluck’s government passed step one of political reform after government representatives invited stakeholders to join the forum scheduled to begin late this week or early next week. The number of participants should be more than 50, but not exceeding 100. 

 

The second step will be to open a forum to discuss ways to heal Thailand’s political divide. Then, a reform council will be formed that will propose a political reform plan to the government within two to three months. 

 

The third step would be to amend the Constitution and other laws, as proposed by the reform council, according to a key Pheu Thai member.

 

“If the reform council suggests the government amend the Constitution, we can do it right away,” the source said. A green light would lead to setting up of a constitutional drafting assembly.

 

Some invitees to the proposed forum, including Banharn, floated reform ideas that would need constitutional amendment to materialise. His idea was to invite all sides to join a unity government. 

 

“Would it be possible for everyone to come and run the nation? Should we ask representatives from different political parties to join the administration?” Banharn said. 

 

The ruling party also shares Banharn’s view about a national government. A key Pheu Thai figure said constitutional amendment is required to allow government rivals and critics to join the current administration.

 

“The Yingluck government will invite representatives from different political parties to join a national government” after constitutional amendment, the source said.

 

The source said the plan calls for an amendment to increase the number of Cabinet members from the current 36. “The number of Cabinet members should increase by 10 per cent, to 40 members,” he said. 

 

The government also plans to change the charter’s clauses about senators. According to the source, this is expected to allow government opponents involved in street protests or retiring members of independent agencies to become senators. Members of independent agencies tend to assume that the government is bad, because their main duty is to scrutinise the government, the source explained.

 

The goal of this latest reform is to allow political players from all sides to gain political power, according to the Pheu Thai source. “With everything the government does, we hope to reduce distrust from different parties,” the source said.