Charter change push goes public
The opposition has called on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to “raise the flag” on constitutional amendment, only to be met with a stern response from the premier who declared he would have none of it.
Gen Prayut’s comments came after the seven-party opposition resolved to seek a personal meeting to urge the premier to fly the flag for charter change.
The opposition has recognised it cannot go it alone in rewriting the charter. The proposed changes, which are expected to be nothing
short of radical, would require support from the government and the Senate to materialise.
Analysts say that if Gen Prayut came on board the charter-change campaign, the Senate — which was appointed by his National Council for Peace and Order — would not take much convincing to follow his lead.
However, according to the same experts, Gen Prayut has good reason to snub the “flag”, since the changes to the charter being pushed by the opposition are far from acceptable to many.
The Future Forward Party, as a major opposition partner, has been staunch in its pressure to overhaul the entire constitution, although the party recently explained that certain chapters, including those that feature the monarchy, will not be touched.
This week, Gen Prayut maintained that the only “flag” he stands by are his principles. He said that any alteration of the charter must respect the law and follow every single legal step.
He added the current charter has only been in force for two years and indicated that any flaws might not merit immediate amendment. Some observers have said that possible faults in the constitution require careful study before any charter rewrite can go ahead.
They warned the opposition not to pursue the amendment issue in haste, or risk public criticism for ignoring more pressing matters like keeping tabs on the government’s performance and working to pull the economy out of the doldrums.
Gen Prayut said the claim that charter amendment was in the best interests of the people was an overstatement.
“I have to ask this. When it is said that people agree with rectifying the charter, which groups of people are these exactly? Are they specific political parties, or the whole country? Tell me that,” Gen Prayut said.
The opposition has so far failed to build popular support for its charter change campaign because it has not been able to convince the public of its importance.
Critics have pointed out that issues connected with the charter feel far-removed from most people’s everyday life. If the opposition is to succeed in its campaign, it must put the proposed charter amendments into context.
The opposition appears to have taken note of that need, however.
Phaophum Rojanasakul, deputy secretarygeneral of the main opposition Pheu Thai Party, said the bloc will organise a rally in Bangkok to talk to the people about the charter issue at the end of November.
This marks a departure from its previous campaign, which focused on seminars and academic forums on the subject and failed to attract much public attention. This time, a large rally will allow speakers to explain how the constitution is closely linked to bread and butter issues.
In other words, improving the constitution is a prerequisite for improving the economy, according to Mr Phaophum.