New constitution aims to empower the citizen sector, Borwornsak says

He was speaking at a forum, entitled “Public Education, Communication and Understanding on the Drafting of the new Constitution”, held in Chiang Mai by the CDC, the National Reform Council (NRC)’s panel on public hearings and King Prajadhipok’s Institute. Attending the forum were representatives of civil servants, academic institutions, the citizen’s sector, media and political groups. 

“I am asked every day whether there will be a referendum, and I have to tell the reporters to go ask Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is also leader of the National Council for Peace and Order [NCPO]. 

“Some reporters also ask if I’m worried that the new charter may not go through the referendum, and I say if people reject it, then I’ll just leave the job and go home. 

“However, I believe that the public is clever enough to study the charter and realise that they will gain more compared to the 1997 and 2007 charters. We want to make the citizen sector more powerful, and it is up to the people to make it happen,” he said. 

Borwornsak added that though CDC wants a strong government, it also wants to avoid the creation of administrations that are far too strong for the checks and balances system to work properly, leading to street protests, coups and calls for national reform. 

He said the new charter aims to avoid problems of the past, foster national reconciliation, as well as get the country prepared to face future challenges. 

The CDC is expected to submit the completed draft of the new charter to NRC on April 17. And from April 20 to 26, the NRC will debate the charter and offer proposals. 

On May 25 and 26, the NRC, the Cabinet and the NCPO will offer amendments, after which the CDC has until August 6 to consider the proposals and return a completed draft to the NRC. The reform council will then vote to decide if it wants to accept or reject the charter. 

If a referendum is held on the charter, the procedure is likely to take another three to six months, with the final decision being made in May next year. 

If the charter passes the referendum, it will be handed in for royal endorsement before being implemented. 

Separately, Chaiya Bikoh, a representative from the Karen ethnic group who attended the forum, said he wanted his tribe to be given the right to apply for citizenship. 

He said many of his people |were deprived of the opportunity because they live in remote areas where there are no government agencies nearby. 

Meanwhile, Prayut said the new charter should focus on national reform and good governance, solve past problems and include good points of the 1997 and 2007 constitutions. 

He was speaking at the 106th anniversary of Command and General Staff College in front of former and present military students.