Key vote on 'outsiders' in CDC today

A hot debate is expected at a National Reform Council (NRC) meeting today before a decision is reached on whether some “outsiders” should be appointed among charter writers.
The council is scheduled to meet at 10am today following a proposal by the whip of the NRC to propose five “outsiders” out of their quota of 20 to sit as Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) members. The outsiders will include those who disagree with the NRC, colour-coded  groups, and political parties, as proposed by the whip.
Political observers said it was unlikely that any politician or people from political parties would be willing to be appointed to the CDC, as the interim charter bars them.
Article 33 of the Provisional Constitution states that CDC members should not have been members of political parties in the past three years. It also forbids CDC members from joining political parties for two years after their term in the CDC expires, in order to eliminate conflict of interest.
The idea of appointing outsiders as CDC members was opposed by some of the NRC members who were chosen by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), while it got backing from NRC members who came from the provincial section.
An NRC member from a provincial source said members from the provinces have no desire to become CDC members because most of them wanted to immediately run in a general election after the new charter comes into effect.
“If the majority of NRC members disapprove the idea [of appointing the outsiders] today, we will accept their decision,” said NRC whip Alongkorn Pollabutr, who reportedly proposed the idea during the whip meeting last week.
Alongkorn said the council would give members opportunities to discuss about outsiders before making the decision.
Before the NRC meeting, members of each of the 11 reform groups and provincial members will hold informal meetings separately, he said. These meetings will discuss why the NRC whip had proposed the idea, and its pros and cons. The NRC is due to select all 20 people as drafters under its quota tomorrow at the earliest.
Meanwhile, pro and anti-Thaksin movements insisted yesterday that they won’t be among the charter drafters but would observe the process closely. United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) and red-shirt leader Weng Tojirakarn said the reds would not be participating in a new charter-drafting process because the new constitution would be dictated by the junta.
When asked whether the CDC should include outsiders, Weng replied that the NCPO had stated clearly in the 2014 Provisional Constitution about the qualifications of CDC members, which could be considered as a ban on some political parties.
“The UDD will not be involved in the committee or help draft the constitution, because the NCPO already has their set of laws that will be inserted in the new constitution in which they do not want us to participate,” said Weng.
People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) spokesman Akanat Promphan said his group would not propose themselves or interfere with the CDC, because it was not possible for colour-coded political groups to join the drafting committee.
“I don’t think we will see any colour-coded or political groups joining the CDC, but if they [the CDC] have outsiders among the members it would help the committee have a wider view on national reform,” said Akanat.
The PDRC spokesman also said that it does not matter who joins the CDC. After they make the decision on whether to accept outsiders, they have to explain to the public clearly, because if the public does not approve of the decision and they fail to show transparency, it would lead to further disputes.
Akanat commented that political parties or certain groups of people should not be excluded from the CDC because every side represents Thai citizens.
However, Weng pointed out that the idea of outsiders proposed by the junta or related agencies was just an attempt to portray that they supported a reconciliation plan.
The red-shirt leader also said that the junta had seized power and torn up the 2007 Constitution and they have already drafted the interim charter, which would provide the framework for the CDC. “We have to understand that the junta is trying to finish the incomplete agenda of the 2006 coup. Some ‘missions’ have not been achieved,” Weng said.
Weng said the CDC members must have two very important qualifications; first, they must work with integrity and justice and without personal prejudice; second, they must respect the people’s opinion, as the people are the masters of democracy. If they are not guided by these principles, it would lead to further disputes in society, he said.
Asked if they would push any proposals on the new charter to the CDC, Weng said if the committee actually wanted the opinion of the red shirts, they would be willing to give suggestions.