Meechai: Try to understand rules in the new charter

CHIEF constitution drafter Meechai Ruchupan has called on Thais to understand the new rules set to come into force in the new year, stressing that drafters did not intend to discriminate against any party or politician.
How soon democracy can be restored, however, will depend on the readiness of the political parties and the Election Commission, which is still hard to project, he said.
Referring to the new charter and organic laws, the head of the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) said: “They may be unorthodox, unheard of, or new, and people may [not fully understand them]. But if everyone follows the rules, the punishment as stipulated will not be handed out.”
The new constitution and its organic laws have proved controversial. Though the charter was approved in a referendum in August, it was criticised constantly, with doubts about whether it would pave the way for a fully democratic regime after the current coup-installed government steps down.
Meechai, in a year-end news briefing, said that the CDC was determined to make the political system work in the public interest and to unravel the problems facing society which have caused unrest within the country.
Politics have not been stable and Meechai said this could have resulted from the people themselves, the system, lack of preparedness, or incompatibility of the rules, and the Thai tradition. 
“[Previously], we have adopted the type of regime that is used in other countries, without considering our tradition which is different to theirs. So we have rethought this and laid out the new rules. Certainly, subsequently we have new mechanisms in the new organic laws,” the veteran constitution writer said.
Meechai said there was a lot of scepticism about democracy in its “home ground”, with people questioning whether it was truly for their well-being. Thai people were doing the same thing, trying to move toward an end that was really in the public interest.
Early in the new year, the organic laws on political parties and the Election Commission – two of the four laws necessary for an election – would take shape. 
The new rules, he said, aimed to boost public participation as much as possible, so that political parties can be expected to be more of the people’s institutions.
Although the changes did not necessarily have to be visible instantly, the CDC would try to make sure it did happen, he said. 
On the selection of constituency candidates, Meechai said that parties previously only focused on their popularity, but under the new rules they would have to consider candidates with high qualifications.
“Voters will have more choices, including not choosing any candidates, and they won’t be able to re-field them in the constituency,” he said. “Choosing candidates with the right qualification will be important.”
As the public still perceives political parties as a “can of worms”, they must make sure they are aware of the issues and improve themselves accordingly, Meechai said. 
Regarding the independent agencies, including the Election Commission, Meechai said the people can look forward to seeing improved efficiency and effectiveness. The new mechanisms in both the charter and the organic law would solve persistent issues that have undermined their efficacy.
But the agencies must be aware of the problems and be prepared to adapt to the new rules laid out in the organic law, he said.
The chief drafter said the CDC would push to complete all the organic laws within 240 days, but when an election takes place would depend on the key institutions –the political parties and the Election Commission.
The drafters had extended the time period for them to adapt to the new rules to 180 days, Meechai said. If they could fit to that time frame, the election would not be delayed, he said.
Meechai added that Article 44, in place before the new government takes office, would not be a stumbling block for the return of democracy. The National Council for Peace and Order, Meechai believed, was also considering easing off a ban on political parties’ activities, as the related organic law would soon be enacted.