Charter's lack of clarity invites abuse

FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015
Charter's lack of clarity invites abuse

A major problem with the draft charter lies in its vagueness on key issues. For example, it allows for appointing a non-elected prime minister "to defuse political crises", as Constitution Drafting Commit-tee chairman Borwornsak Uwanno put it. But what co

Consider Article 44, which is more draconian than martial law, and which we live under today. Article 44 is based on a similar article in the French constitution – but my lawyer and diplomat friends assure me that the French charter specifies bodies that must agree the conditions exist under which the article may be invoked. The French prime minister cannot unilaterally decide. We have no such safeguards, inviting a legal dictatorship.
Burin Kantabutra