Incoming CDC needs to work quicker, says NLA's Surachai

But he said the success or failure of that hinged on the new charter drafting panel finishing its work early, adding that the NLA could be quick in getting its job done.

Surachai said some people had suggested that the NLA prepare the laws in advance and that would be possible to some extent but the NLA must wait until the charter is finished to complete them.

“I can’t say if the time could be shortened. It depends on some external factors too, whether it could take less than six months or not [to finish the charter],” he said.

Regarding the selection of the 21 new members of the drafting panel, Surachai said the matter would be clearer this week. 

Involved agencies were working to propose names to the authorities, he said, and the final decision would be made when Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha returned from New York where he was attending the United National General Assembly forum.

 

Hard work for lawmakers

NLA president Pornpet Vichitcholcha said hard work was ahead for the lawmakers because they would have to deliberate on laws as stipulated in the 2014 interim charter and once the new draft charter was completed the NLA would have to craft the organic laws.

Pornpet said the absence of organic laws could lead to problems. As a result, he said that when the charter was done the organic laws should be legislated to make everything clear and to prevent possible conflicts. 

Another NLA vice president, Peerasak Pochit, said he was not worried about the NLA’s performance as he believed in its capabilities and ability for members to cooperation on legislating organic laws. 

But the public expected a lot from the assembly and it only had a little more than a year to complete its task, he said. 

On top of that, the new charter must meet a universal standard to shield it from heavy criticism, he added. 

Should there be anything in it concerning a “special situation”, it should be placed as a provisional clause, he suggested, adding that the body should be able to explain that to the public. 

Former democrat member of Parliament Watchara Petchthong voiced his concern about drafting the organic laws concerning political parties.

 

Re-registering of parties

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam had toyed with the idea of re-registering all parties to create political fairness. 

However Watchara disagrees, saying the idea is a threat to all party members nationwide.

He said it would be unfair and asked that the deputy prime minister reconsider the idea.

Meanwhile, a political observer and Rangsit University’s director of the Thailand Reform Institute, Suriyasai Katasila, said the new CDC member must be trusted by the public. 

Its chairman should be able to conjoin social forces to benefit reform in the long run without necessarily being a constitutionalist or a law expert, Suriyasai said. 

He said the panel must not be a minion of the National Council for Peace and Order because society would be sceptical and eventually turn their back on the reform process.

In a related development, Pheu Thai politician and former foreign minister, Noppadon Pattama, proposed the so-called ‘super reconciliation’.

It would consists of three elements: stopping hate speech; a forum for politicians to discuss issues involving them; establishing common nationwide regulations acceptable for everyone and are formed under a democratic Constitution, he said.