CDC must be specific on non-elected PM: Suriyasai

A former yellow-shirt activist, Suriyasai said the CDC should be open-minded and take different opinions into consideration, especially over the non-elected prime minister proposal. Democracy advocates usually view the move as undemocratic.

“Charter drafters should not write this provision in general terms. Instead, they should set specific conditions and criteria for the provision of non-elected PM to become operable. Failure to do so would make the draft vulnerable to attacks and some political groups are expected to use this weakness to their advantage and will try and convince the public to reject the whole charter,’’ Suriyasai said.

He said the charter drafters should clarify other controversial issues, including the drafting process, in order to avoid any misconception or public misunderstanding.

Suriyasai classified charter critics into three groups. The first was reluctant to accept reform or was not ready to change; the second group was made up of academics and other diverse groups of interests; and the last group was the absolute anti-coup group that rejects every proposal from the CDC.

He suggested that the CDC reason with the first two groups and avoid arguments with the anti-coup group.

“When you scrutinise the last three coups – 1992, 2006 and 2014 – the political crises that led to the coups were not caused by the charters but by corrupt politicians who exploited legal loopholes for their own vested interests,’’ he said.

“It is unprecedented that politicians initiate any reform for public interest. Politicians should just listen [instead of criticising],’’ he added. Suriyasai admitted that the new charter granted more space to public participation compared to the 1997 and 2007 constitutions. 

He said that under the new charter, new political mechanisms have been designed with the aim of improving public participation in various domains, such as checks and balance as well as participation in the legislative process. This also includes the establishment of a people’s assembly at the regional and national level – a body that would allow the public direct participation in the legislative process. 

Despite all the progress highlighted by Suriyasai, the CDC should have a better public outreach as the drafters are currently beset by scepticism over the lack of public participation.