Thaksin slammed over charter comments
Key government figures and reform council members yesterday rejected ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s criticism of the draft charter.
In a video clip uploaded to YouTube on Friday, the ex-premier was seen addressing a small party and saying the draft charter was the “worst one” in Thailand’s history and the country was worse off than it was before last year’s coup.
“If this draft charter comes into effect, it would be the worst one, since it would be a charter that most people do not accept,” Thaksin said in the clip.
He also criticised the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and the militaryled government for extending their stay in power and moving the country backwards.
Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya expressed confidence the public understood the NCPO’s intent while saying Thaksin’s comments don’t reflect public sentiment.
“I don’t know if he speaks for the whole country. We need to ask the people if they want the problems solved as we’re trying to do with our roadmap. We came to tackle the problems. If the people don’t want us to do that, we’ll just leave. We aren’t doing all this just to stay in power,” he said.
He insisted Prime Minister Prayut Chano-cha was dedicating himself to solving national problems, apparently in response to Thaksin’s claim the government was focusing on “small matters” while ignoring serious economic problems and the plight of farmers and labourers.
According to Gen Paiboon, people had learned a lesson or two from the events leading up to the May 22 coup and were sick of political conflicts and violence. He was not concerned that Thaksin’s latest remarks would stir fresh conflicts.
PM’s Office Minister Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana said yesterday the public would be the judge of the interim government’s performance and the draft charter, not Thaksin.
He said the government’s progress is evident in cabinet meeting reports and urged the public to decide for themselves when the final version of the constitution is completed.
Paiboon Nititawan, a member of the National Reform Council and the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC), defended the draft charter, saying it was drafted based largely on public input gathered nationwide.
He said Thaksin’s reaction was not unusual because the deposed prime minister wanted the 1997 charter which had been exploited by the Thai Rak Thai government.
He also thanked the Pheu Thai Party for its feedback, saying the party’s critique of the draft charter to be submitted to the CDC chairman showed political maturity.
“They pointed out which proposals are good and which ones are unacceptable. They also gave recommendations, which is useful and the right thing to do,” he said.
Suriyasai Katasila, an ex-member of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, said Thaksin was doing nothing more in his clip than venting anger over the prospect of being stripped of his police rank as the government was proposing to do.