Prasong seeks to limit public rows by CDA members

Asks drafters to avoid criticising resolutions when talking to media

Charter drafters should refrain from criticising any agreement once it is passed as a resolution of the 35-person Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC), chairman Prasong Soonsiri told members yesterday.

"Once the meeting has come to a conclusion, I hope you all will accept the resolution. I hope you will accept it in unison. I don't want us to quarrel with one another because we have had only three meetings so far," said Prasong after some CDC members failed in an attempt to bar all members except Prasong and the committee's four speakers from talking to the media.

All drafters had the right to their own opinion and this could be expressed in public as their personal opinion but not that of the committee, he said.

The remark came as drafters began taking opposite stances on various issues including the future of MPs, senators and more.

Wicha Mahakhun and Angkhana Neelaphaijit warned the committee that barring them from speaking would have disastrous consequences.

"We would be deemed a dictatorial committee," Wicha said.

"We would not be able to convince [the people] that we will draft the constitution to protect their basic rights," Angkhana added.

Members agreed in principle to clearly state the rights and liberties of citizens in the new constitution, however, and vowed to increase them beyond those contained in the 1997 Constitution. Details would be worked out by a CDC subcommittee.

The meeting also adopted a principle of enhancing people's ability to exercise their rights and liberties as much as possible and to ensure that the constitution will allow for greater public participation in politics.

Members agreed to abide by international conventions that Thailand has signed with regards to the protection of rights and liberties.

Drafters also agreed in principle to support greater protection of the freedom of the press in the constitution as well as to find ways to make impeachment of politicians by citizens a reality.

Angkhana urged the meeting to consider protecting the rights of stateless people in Thailand, but there was no agreement on the issue.

At least one drafter exp-ressed concern about note taking at meetings, claiming not all remarks were being summarised in the minutes. "We discussed much more than what I see being summarised," said Wuthisarn Tanchai.

It was suggested that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) should be dissolved because it is a "redundant organisation".

"It's a waste of state money, and what can they do? They have been incapacitated [by the Thaksin Shinawatra regime] and yet they were not aware of it," said Thanaboon Jiranuwat.

The new charter should allow citizens to file charges of human rights violations, bypassing the need for the NHRC, he said.

The meeting will continue today.

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation
Thu, February 1, 2007