CDC unfazed by reformers' threats to draft constitution

Recently there has been a strong indication that many NRC members would reject the draft of the new constitution. Many members said they disagreed with some of the principles of this proposed new charter, such as the sourcing of MPs and senators.

Some NRC members even claimed that if the CDC were too stubborn to alter the draft as reformers proposed, they would not approve it.

“The NRC has opined that voting to disapprove the draft is their right, but such a threat will not affect the charter draft,” the CDC spokesman responded.

Lertrat also said that next Wednesday, charter drafters would begin the amending process “article by article”.

NRC chairman Thienchay Kiranandana promised that the council’s scrutiny and final vote on the draft would be done by September 7.

“The NRC will receive the final draft by August 22, which we will have to scrutinise in order to vote whether to approve or disapprove the charter draft by September 5 or 7,” he said.

On the same day, The NRC also held a meeting to inform its members of the content of a meeting between the National Council for Peace and Order and the Cabinet.

Thienchay said the junta and the Cabinet agreed to propose amendments the provisional constitution imposed after the military seized power and scrapped the previous charter last year. One amendment would dissolve the NRC after it votes for the new constitution. In return, the NRC could insert one question into the planned national referendum.

There had been a question over whether the NRC’s dissolution would affect its national-reform plans. Thienchay replied that the NRC would not recede from its reform plans, insisting that 37 reform issues and six national development plans were still under way.

“I have given a task to 18 reform panels to forward their reports and present them at the NRC meeting on June 30. These plans will be forwarded to the government before our term ends,” the chairman of the reform council explained.