CDC completes section on constitutional amendments

However, there are certain clauses that cannot be amended, such as the one stating that Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) spokesman Lertrat Ratanavanich said.

He added that this last section on constitutional amendment had established three levels of difficulty when it comes to changes: clauses that cannot be amended; those that can be amended by Parliament; and those that need public endorsement via a national referendum before being amended. 

Lertrat was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the CDC meeting being held in Pattaya. 

Among the clauses that require public endorsement are those related to the King and his subjects, and people the Parliament, judiciary and scrutiny |of state power, reform and reconciliation, and constitutional amendment. Lertrat said the CDC wanted the public to take part in making decisions on important issues, which is why it has marked out the clauses that need a plebiscite to amend. 

He also said the new constitution would not set any time frames for amending the new charter.

“This means that as soon as the new constitution goes into effect, people who have the right to push for amendments can do so immediately,” he said. 

The new constitution will also require that every five years, a committee of experts is set up to assess its effectiveness. The Parliament, Cabinet, Supreme Court, Constitution Court and Supreme Administrative Court will appoint this committee.