CDC chief calls for public vote on charter

AS THE WRITING of the new constitution is in its final stage, the chief drafter has repeated his call for a national referendum on the final draft.

Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) chairman Borwornsak Uwanno said yesterday that he hoped the new charter would be endorsed through a national referendum although the matter is up to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and the Cabinet to decide.

Asked if he had discussed the matter with Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, the CDC chairman said no, adding Prayut had told him earlier the matter would be decided when the time came.

“If I am the person with the authority I would propose that people vote in a referendum. It just happened that I am not the person with the power,” he told reporters.

Borwornsak also expressed his hope that the new constitution would be the last permanent constitution in the Kingdom and would not meet the same fate as previous charters that were eventually annulled after military coups. 

The CDC chief held a press conference to update the public about the charter drafting process at the end of a week-long meeting held in Pattaya. He warned that a new charter alone may not be able to bridge political divisions and said national reconciliation was needed, otherwise Thailand could plunge to least developed country in the Asean region.

Borwornsak highlighted four main pillars of the new charter and said they would change Thai society.

First, citizens will be given a greater role in politics, given greater freedom and 15 years of free compulsory education. 

Borwornsak cited the establishment of the so-called Citizen Assembly that would play a part in scrutinising and impeaching politicians who gravely breached political ethics.

Second, the new charter will foster clean politics with the introduction of new mechanisms to scrutinise politicians effectively. It will also create a balanced lower house and upper house with the Senate being selected from a broad range of groups, including those representing ethnic minority, those with physical disability and those on the fringe of society. Political groups will also be permitted to field candidates for the House of Representatives.

MPs will also become more independent as their status as members of parliament will not cease if they are dismissed from their own political party. However, MPs will have to renounce their status as an MP in order to take up a Cabinet post.

Third, the new charter will foster a more just society by pushing for reduction of social and economic disparities. Poor people facing the judicial process will be supported through funding that would allow them free legal representation.

Fourth, the new charter is aimed at bringing about national reconciliation with an organisation to be set up under the new charter to help achieve the goal.

Borwornsak said the final charter draft would be submitted to the Cabinet on May 25.