TV show to include charter critics

Somchai said the Thai PBS television station would help produce and broadcast the programme on the charter draft. It will be aired during the last week before a referendum on the draft, from July 25 to August 5, between 1pm to 2pm.

The EC will be responsible for determining the content to be broadcast in the 10 episodes of the show, focusing on clarifying “mistakes” that people have made about the draft, such as state welfare matters like the healthcare scheme and free education, plus political issues, such as the “origin” of the prime minister.

“Academics from the Internet Dialogue Law Reform (iLaw) as well as New Democracy Movement (NDM) will appear in the programme in at least four episodes,” Somchai said, referring to pro-democracy civil society and activist groups.

Six other episodes will feature charter drafters and representatives of other civil society groups, he said. He wanted the show to be informative, not a stage where rivals try to win over the other. He would try to prevent images of one group bashing another, so the show would be taped – not live, Somchai said.

The EC will also publish content of the constitution draft in eight Thai-language newspapers to ensure it reaches the public. State funding provided for this was Bt10 million, the EC’s deputy secretary general Thanit Sriprathet said.

Nipit Intrasombat, deputy leader of the Democrat Party, feared the show would be “a little too late”. If he was invited, he would refuse, but he didn’t want to discourage the EC. 

Noppadol Patama, a Pheu Thai Party member, said there should be a show for people with different views to debate the draft. Both sides should be given equal time to express their stance to inform the people, the former minister said, adding that the platform should not be for rivals to argue rhetorically “just to win”.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam refused yesterday to give a clear timeframe of what would happen if the charter draft does not pass the referendum and a new one is needed, leaving the country’s political future under a cloud.

He insisted the “road map” to democracy will still be followed regardless of the result, but declined to give an exact date when the road map ends. He just said the Interim Constitution would remain in effect until next year.

“How long the new charter takes to draft will depend on how many people are involved. If there are not many drafters, it will not be long. If many people [are involved], it will take longer to reach a conclusion,” Wissanu said. “I don’t want it [the constitution and the road map] to be bound by date and time – or it will make news. It cannot be determined exactly because it depends on many factors.”