PCR say charter draft deprives public of rights and liberty
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The People’s Council for Reform (PCR) Monday attacked the charter draft as depriving the public of their rights and liberty yet, increased the power to the state.
The PCR held a seminar to debate the charter draft on provisions regarding rights and liberty of the people.
Pairoj Polpet, former Legal Reform Commission member, summed up the charter draft written by the Constitution Drafting Commission led by Meechai Ruchupan as increasing power of the state and reducing the people’s power and their rights.
He said unlike the 1997 and 2007 charters, the draft contained no provision that stated the government must protect human rights and liberty. It also empowers state officials to have the right to develop local communities and manage national resources.
The charter was also weak on decentralisation and no provision stated how much of funding local governments should receive.
The checks and balances stressed on giving too much power to independent agencies such as the Constitutional Court, the Election Commission, the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the State Audit Commission. These agencies should not interfere in politics, Pairoj said.
The charter also downgraded the National Human Rights Commission by depriving the agency right to check if the government violates human rights and liberty.
The charter draft empowers the National Reform Steering Assembly to drive reform. However the majority of assembly members are bureaucrats and this could lead to problems, he added.
