01 April 2016

“We reject the draft charter...”


Democracy Monument

The Constitutional Drafting Committee this week published the final draft of its proposed new constitution. Pheu Thai released a statement criticising the proposal: “We reject the draft charter that will regress the country... Pheu Thai Party requests that the people come out and vote to “reject” the draft charter that does not recognize the people’s power and lacks democratic principles.” (Similarly, when an initial draft was released in February, former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said: “The draft charter is retrogressive”.)

The new draft stipulates that 244 members of the Senate will be selected by a panel chosen by the junta, with the remaining six Senate seats reserved for the leaders of the armed services. A referendum on the charter will take place on 7th August; unlike the referendum on the previous constitution, campaigns against the charter will be illegal, with a penalty of up to ten years in jail.