CDC reaches agreement on party dissolution
The Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) yesterday reached a conclusion on an issue concerning political party dissolution, CDC spokesman General Lertrat Rattanawanich said.
It also agreed to add a clause prohibiting any political party’s move to overthrow a democratic regime with the King as head of state. The Constitution Court can accept the complaint and deliver a verdict dissolving the party concerned.
This clause is part of Article 33/1.
However, the spokesman said, the clause does not cover the House of Representatives’ duties such as proposing amendments.
There was also an unconfirmed report from the meeting that the idea was partly based on the 2007 Constitution’s Article 68. The CDC members also believe that the issue of a politician’s wrongdoings were well addressed in the charter draft, hence a political party’s wrongdoings should be similarly addressed. As for the ouster of a democratic regime by a political group, this issue would be addressed along with that of an individual or group of individuals under Article 31.
Lertrat said the CDC agreed to come up with new mechanisms to enforce codes of conduct among politicians, including getting MPs to submit their tax records over five years.
The general also said that the CDC had agreed on the criteria on who is eligible to run in elections. Some clauses concerning this point had been adjusted. For instance, Article 111 Section 14 prohibits anybody who has been impeached for false asset declaration, malfeasance or serious violation of the code of conduct under Article 247 from running in elections. A person who has been removed from office for being unusually wealthy, corruption or malfeasance is also barred from running in elections. This point is part of Section 15 of the Article.
Lertrat said those subject to impeachment for seriously violating the constitution or codes of conduct could face a five-year ban from politics, while those impeached for corruption or malfeasance could be banned for life.
The CDC will also discuss in detail the establishment of the new National Strategic Reform and Reconciliation next week, Lertrat said.
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