Charter needs only pruning
Re: "Parties not averse to poll delay", News, April 24.
That was another great move, having a meeting of the minds between the arch-rival Pheu Thai and Democrat parties. This consensus, however, is likely to displease those unbending foreign critics who demand Thailand’s swift return to their standard of democracy. Now even the affected political parties are in agreement over the need to delay.
To raise the 2015 draft with its 315 articles to a democratic level acceptable to all is difficult. Thailand has had 19 constitutions (counting the nine temporary ones abrogating existing charters), more than any other country. The 1997 constitution – with 336 articles the longest ever and the one lauded by Burin Kantabutra (“Let’s just revive the 1997 ‘people’s constitution’”, Letters, April 24) – was not sufficient to preclude the havoc that has twice occurred since.
The 1959 constitution was the shortest, with only 20 articles, enacted under the dictatorship of Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat. One can conclude from history that the Thai constitution, no matter how beautiful the wording, is not supreme. Unwritten rules regarding moral attitude and good governance and the like are the areas in which Thailand has yet to improve.
Reviewing reactions to the draft to date, there has been little constructive criticism. I doubt anyone has had sufficient time to absorb the 315 articles. Give credit to the drafting committee for its efforts and let us pick holes and prune this tree instead of speaking discouragingly and destructively of fatal flaws, etc. Do we want another committee to start the drafting afresh?
Songdej Praditsmanont
