CDC extends charter deadline by 30 days
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THE charter drafters will have more time to craft the new constitution after agreeing yesterday to extend the deadline by another 30 days, as allowed under an amendment to the interim charter.
Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) spokesman Lertrat Rattanavanich said the committee decided to extend the time period because drafters had made changes to some contentious issues, including reform and reconciliation in the last chapter. They needed more time to craft the wording and to perfect the new charter, he said.
The spokesman said that during the additional 30 days the committee would review and could make changes to some earlier decisions. But, all adjustments would have to pass a vote by the CDC.
In addition, from August 17 to 19, the National Reform Council (NRC) and the Cabinet would be invited to listen to the CDC’s reasons behind the changes made to the draft charter, he said.
In regard to the contentious point about a lifetime ban on political office holders and Members of Parliament found involved in serious offences, he would not confirm if those who had been impeached could ever run in an election again.
“You can read that yourself. It’s not the CDC’s job to explain details for certain groups of people or individuals. We only work on important principles for people in general to follow. If [you] focus on specific individuals, the questions would never be answered,” Lertrat said.
Meanwhile, NRC whip Alongkorn Polbutra confirmed that the charter drafting process would be completed and passed to the NRC by August 22. He said that after receiving the draft, the NRC would vote on it between September 5 and 7.
Sukhum Nuansakul, a political analyst and ex-rector of Ramkamhaeng University, said the extension was within the law and there was nothing to worry about. However, he said the CDC should take responsibility to explain the issue of a lifetime ban as they had written these rules and should not be pass the burden to the Constitutional Court.
Election Commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn said the EC would call on the CDC to include a provision that once the EC files a court petition to issue a red or yellow card to a political-office holder, the person in question must immediately stop carrying out his or her duties.
The EC also called on the drafters to consider its recommendations and ensure all points in the new charter are clear and suitable for one and all. The EC called earlier for it to retain the right to issue “red” or “yellow cards” and not transferred to the courts.
