Commission spokesman Amorn Wanitwiwat said the CDC would announce its decisions on major issues to the public immediately after they were made.

Amorn said the CDC had asked the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) many times if it wanted the charter draft to be accepted by the public in the upcoming referendum.

He said the NCPO wanted the charter to be accepted so a general election could be held in accordance with the road map to democracy.

“The NCPO does not have the objective to sabotage the charter draft in order to cling to power,” Amorn said.

He said the CDC had reviewed 60 of 270 articles in the first charter draft and had taken into account the opinions and suggestions of all sectors.

The revision of the charter will not affect the main principles set out by the CDC, Article 35 of the 2014 interim charter or the five objectives of the NCPO, Amorn added.

National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) deputy chairman Alongkorn Ponlaboot said the Cabinet had given the CDC 16 questions about revisions to the charter draft.

He said the main question centred on what measures were in place to prevent the country from experiencing the same political crisis that led to the May 2014 coup.

He suggested two charter sections aimed at preventing political violence from intensifying into a national crisis.

Alongkorn said the first part of the charter draft, which should be eventually put in force permanently, must include a democratic system that included internationally accepted political norms such as elections, elected senators, and a balance of power in government, the Parliament and the courts.

The rights and liberties of the people should be stated clearly in accordance with international standards, and the charter should be subject to amendment.

Alongkorn said the second part of the charter draft, which addressed the transition period leading to an elected government, should include the provisional clauses such as a non-elected PM, non-elected senators and other mechanisms designed to prevent another national crisis.

The procedures and timeframe should be indicated clearly, while the CDC should invite politicians from both camps to discuss

issues related to the transitional period.

“To heal the political rift and national divide and create national reconciliation, both sides of the political rivalry must team up to address the issues. No power can force them to reconcile. Myanmar is the best example [of that],” Alongkorn said.

NRSA political reform committee spokesman Wanchai Sornsiri said he supported the Cabinet’s proposal to have a transitional period.

“If we have full democracy now, we may go back to square one as many people and the NCPO worry about,” he said.

“We must balance between stability and democracy and peace. The transitional period is not about the military’s attempt to continue its power,” he said.

“It’s a charade to show the world that Thailand is returning to democracy,” he told the Wall Street Journal in a rare interview.

“But in reality it would be like Myanmar before its political reforms. There would be a prime minister, but the real power would be in some politburo above him and the economy would suffer. No other government would want to touch Thailand.”

He urged Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government to talk with all political groups in the country to find a way forward that would be acceptable for everyone, starting with the framing of a constitution that provided a voice for the country’s voters.

He said the constitution must not be weakened by the junta’s proposal to stay on the scene once a general election was held in the form of a security council.

“Please don’t be paranoid. Please don’t fear that I’ll come looking for revenge,” said Thaksin, whose younger sister, ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra, was ousted along with her government in the 2014 coup.

“I’m not looking for any conditions to help myself. But if you have a real intention to move the country forward, if you intend to return dignity to the Thai people, then please come to talk.”

In an interview with the Financial Times, Thaksin had called for talks with the junta to end the political crisis in the country. “I don’t set any kind of conditions for myself. I just want to see the country moving forward, to return democracy to the people,” he said.

The ex-premier, who was ousted by a military coup in 2006, suggested draft constitutional measures to weaken the power of elected politicians were aimed at him.

He stressed he was not trying to “challenge” or “fight” the generals, but said “in this 21st century no-one respects the country with the junta regime”.

He added: “I don’t [say] that this junta will not last long. But any regime that [does] not respect the people will not last long.”

The party said coup-makers had earlier achieved their four-step mission – of toppling the Thaksin regime; confiscating assets and prosecuting the Thaksincamp; dissolving the Thai Rak Thai Party and banning its party executives from politics for five years; and supporting Pheu Thai’s rival political camp to rise to power.

After the junta brought down the Yingluck government in the May 2014 coup, the Constitution Drafting Commission led by Meechai Ruchupan has drafted a charter that would provide another four-step strategy to eradicate the Pheu Thai Party legally and constitutionally, the statement said.

The charter draft proposes a single ballot election system, indirect election of senators, provision for a non-elected PM, as well as empowering the Constitutional Court to have power over all state agencies. The current draft makes it almost impossible for politicians to amend the charter, and politicians are governed by strict rules.

These rules are aimed at stopping Pheu Thai from winning the election and even ifPheu Thai wins the election, it will be a weak government that cannot solve problems or it may have to support a non-elected PM, the statement said.

The Constitutional Court will be in a position to overthrow a Pheu Thai-led government, without the need for a coup The country will be ruled by agencies that are not linked to the majority of people but a small group of people, the statement added.

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai deputy spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard demanded that the government provide true information to the public about foreign direct investment (FDI). He dismissed Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s statement that Thailand is a magnet for foreign investment as “the opposite of the truth”. He said foreign investment had plunged by Bt90 billion and FDI from Japan had dropped 81 per cent.

Nuttawut Saikuar, a Pheu Thai politician and a leader of the red shirts’ United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, yesterday criticised the government’s proposal to have two periods in enforcing the new charter.

Political ploy

He said the proposal was suggested because the current government wanted to give itself absolute control while a general election is being held and to ensure that the government that wins the election continues its power.

Nuttawut said the move could be a political ploy to make critics attack the charter draft and the CDC could then throw away the proposal saying it accepts the criticism. He said after maintaining Article 44 to give the PM absolute control, there was no need to make other rules to ensure the PM’s full power.

In a related development, Democrat Party spokesman Ramet Rattanachaweng yesterday demanded that the interim charter be amended to make clarify about the public referendum.

“If the charter draft does not pass in the referendum, the government must clearly state its options so that the public can have such information before deciding how to vote in the referendum,” he said.

Ramet also called on the government to regulate social media, especially Facebook. “There has been distortion and mudslinging at the Democrats, that we attempted to bring down the Yingluck government over the rice-pledging scheme,” he said.

He said the party had filed a police complaint over the attack on the party at Dusit District Police Station.

A source from the Constitution Drafting Commission said the panel has agreed to revise the relevant clauses to reinstate this right, which appeared in the previous 2007 constitution.

The new draft charter will now guarantee communities’ right to take part in the management and maintenance of their natural resources and environment, as well as the use of the local biological diversity, according to the source.

Meanwhile, Government Spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd insisted yesterday that Army territorial defence students have been assigned to try and create a better public understanding of the constitution and the significance of the upcoming charter referendum but they will not try to influence how people vote.

Public misunderstanding

Sansern voiced concern over the public’s misunderstanding of the Reserve Officers and Training Corp volunteer project, explaining that its aim is to educate people about the controversial content in the draft constitution.

He said the project had been executed since October.

It was recently rumoured that the Army was using the students in a bid to influence voters so they gave the green light to the draft constitution. But Army commander-in-chief General Teerachai Nakwanich said last week that there was no attempt to mislead people.

He claimed that the move was designed to encourage people to “exercise their voting right”, adding the students were not going to monitor voters at polling booths.

“Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed the Army to be neutral and not try to influence the voters,” the government spokesman said.

“He also asked the public to understand the Army’s intention, which has no hidden agenda.”

Charnchai was found to have violated the Criminal Code’s Articles 144 and 167, the court ruled.

The punishment rules out parole as Charnchai, a former superintendent of the Pho Kaew Police Station, had severely abused the justice system, the court said. His penalty was however reduced as he had corroborated the facts filed against him, it said.

Charnchai was released yesterday on a bail of Bt300,000, on condition that he must not leave the Kingdom without court permission.

The primary court’s ruling followed testimony given by an eyewitness – then-Constitution Court judge ML Krairerk Kasemsan – who said in 2013 that Charnchai had visited him between October 16-22, 2006 and had offered him a Bt15-million bribe to help with the party’s dissolution case.

While denying the charge, Charnchai had claimed that he had visited the judge only to invite him to a reunion party of Thammasat University alumni. The bribe offering was a “mere joke”, he said.

The Appeal Court reconsidered evidence from Krairerk, who also said the defendant told him he owed a debt to Potjaman na Pombejra, ex-wife of former prime ministerThaksin Shinawatra and Thai Rak Thai leader. Charnchai also asked for a 5-per-cent share of the bribe when received, the judge said.

Charnchai visited him again on October 22, 2006 to invite him to a reunion party, Krairerk said, while also mentioning “Bt 30 million” out of the blue.

The judge then told him to leave and informed then Supreme Court president Panya Thanomrod.

The Appeal Court upheld the primary court’s verdict, as the defendant and the plaintiff were not well known to each other and hence could not have joked with each other in this manner.

The court also rejected Charnchai’s accusation that the notice against him, filed by yellow-shirt activist Veera Somkwankid, was suspicious as it came 10 months after the incident, reasoning that Krairerk was occupied with tasks as tribunal judge back then.

Despite being a lone eyewitness, the court said Krairerk is trustworthy as he was appointed to an important legal position.

Meechai voiced concern that people may misunderstand the draft after receiving “distorted information” from opponents.

“This talk aims to inform the Army personnel about the imporฌtant content of the draft constituฌtion,” he said. “I hope the knowledge learned will be passed on to your colleagues, residents in your area, your family members and [other] people close to you for a better underฌstanding.”

The head drafter spoke to about 1,000 people at Royal Thai Army headquarters. About half of them were commissioned officers and the rest noncommissioned officers, Army reservists and other Army employees.

Meechai said he was eager to answer every query about controฌversial issues related to the charter, adding he was willing to hold talks with any agency.

Army commanderinchief General Teerachai Nakwanich plans to invite Meechai to hold similar talks to Army personnel in other parts of the country, a source said.

Throughout his talk yesterday, Meechai stressed that the charter mainly aimed to crack down on graft and there would be tough mechaฌnisms to combat corruption.

Following a flood of calls from several concerned bodies to revise clauses in the charter related to the election of the prime minister and the Senate, Meechai affirmed that he would not change the current elecฌtion systems.

The CDC chairman said the clause that would require political parties to submit a list of candidates to be prime minister would remain.

He asserted that the prime minฌister would be appointed despite being an unelected MP and memฌbers of the House of Representatives would vote to select the government head.

He also insisted on indirect elecฌtion of senators, which he said would ensure the independence of the Upper House.

Meanwhile, a group of bureauฌcrats and politicians yesterday voiced their support for the draft charter’s aim to suppress corruption but they suggested that clauses about rights and freedoms be revised.

The group were trainees in the Constitutional Court’s “Rule of Law for Democracy” course. They were led by Borwornsak Uwanno, chairฌman of the nowdefunct Constitution Drafting Committee, whose draft charter was rejected by the former National Reform Council last year.

Speaking separately, Borwornsak said he regretted that [his draft was rejected] but a day later he realised that the National Council for Peace and Order wanted to stay in power longer.

“I feel I wasted myself doing this job but now I’m happy as I can go back to taking care of my grandฌchild,” he said.

However, he agreed with the tough charter, adding that the draft by Meechai Ruchupan’s Drafting Commission stipulated a rigid mechanism to crack down corrupฌtion and money laundering.

“The draft is satisfactory and dreadful to stipulate that politicians have to submit the personal income tax return for three years back [prior to their entering politics),” he said.

“If I was asked to vote for the charter today, I would accept this charter. No need to amend it.”

He said he appreciated Meechai’s devotion and encouraged him to get the charter done. However, he noted one weakness was the law of rule, which has to be added.

Banjerd Singkaneti, dean of the Faculty of Law at the National Institute of Development Administration, who led the group, also voiced concern over the single ballot election method which, he said, has more disadvantages than a twoballot system.

He said: “The two ballot election system should be used. This [oneballot] method is used by only one state of Germany, BadenWurttemberg. How come we apply it with Thailand?”

The dean also felt that listing three prime ministerial candidates was not practical, as big parties would eventually submit only one frontrunner candidate.

He also urged Meechai, the head drafter, to stipulate a community’s rights in the charter, as Borwornsak’s draft did.

But the burning hot topic emerged on Monday after a clash between rallying monks and military officers at Buddha Monthon.

The Sangha and Buddhists Alliance of Thailand staged the rally to show support for Somdej Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, or Somdej Chuang, who has been nominated by the Sangha Supreme Council as the new Supreme Patriarch. The military tried to block the rally, as such an act is prohibited after the 2014 coup.

Video clips of the pushing and shoving were spread via mainstream and social media. The monks were seen attempting to push military vehicles out of their way and manhandling soldiers trying to keep them out. One monk was seen holding an Army officer in a headlock. Some posted video clips showing a military officer moving quickly towards the monks. Both sides have supporters who blame the other side for the incident.

Critics have also taken aim at acting Supreme Patriarch Somdej Chuang for failing to take action against Phra Dhammachayo, the controversial abbot of Wat Dhammakaya, whom the late Supreme Patriarch once accused of committing “parachik” (a great offence) after registering property donated to his temple under his own name.

Here are some of the comments in response to the issues facing Buddhism.

@hotdarkcoff wrote on Twitter: “#NokAir is really blessed. Saved by the monks. The issue of its pilot strike is almost out of the media space.”

@dreamtuii wrote: “What? The NCPO will create unity and reconciliation? It can’t make it peaceful even when it’s about monks and Buddhism.”

@Wasin_Ch wrote: “We have ignored the problems related to Buddhism for too long so they grow so deep and so big.”

Buddhist advocate Saruttaya Rose Mahanavaranee wrote on Facebook that it is all Buddhists’ duty to protect the religion as Dhammakaya’s teaching are against Lord Buddha’s teaching. She mentioned the scandals the Dhammakaya’s leaders and supporters have faced including the purchase of land and luxury cars and a donation it received from the scandal-plagued Klong Chan Credit Union.

Meanwhile, Panatsaya Sungpan wrote: “You are already ordained. Can’t you shed your desire? Monks are supposed to cut out their desires, take a precept and live morally – no demanding. Don’t just put on the robe and call yourself monks so that people pay you respect and offer food to you. That’s what is deteriorating the religion.”

In response to the backlash, many social media users changed their profile pictures to a yellow logo with the message “We love Buddhism”. They posted and shared messages with the hashtag #WhyWeLoveDamakaya. They said Dhammachayo had returned the land and there was no legal action against him so he still deserves to be a monk.

Some social media users saw the funny side of the dramas besetting Buddhism. Huay Toon’s cartoon showed a monk failing to justify the Dhamakaya controversies.

Tharinee Muangmusit shared a picture of military personnel sitting on the stage usually reserved for monks to chant and perform religious ceremonies. The caption read: “Who cares? Nothing soldiers can’t do. Monks are all gone to Buddha Monthon. Soldiers can chant by themselves.”

It was later revealed that the personnel were military chaplains who were rehearsing religious ceremonies.

In another interesting post, Noppanan Arunvongse Na Ayudhaya recalled what Cambodians and Chinese had told him about political conflicts in their countries when he wrote:

“Religious ideology is stronger than political ideology. If a conflict grows, the damage can be unimaginable. Thailand is lucky not have had such a tragedy where blood and tears flow just because of craziness over religious and political ideologies.

“For every case, people should keep an open mind and consider the causes and the effects and believe in the justice system and not be divided.

After all, each side does not have only one million but millions of people, and they all are Thai.”

 

Teerachai, who also serves as National Council for Peace and Order secretary-general, said the student’s public-minds project is a campaign to raise awareness among voters about their right to cast ballots at the referendum.

He said the students would not enter into the polling booths. “They will just be there to help voters, such as helping the elderly find their name in the list. This has been done in many elections previously,” he said.

He added that the campaign included educating soldiers and their families about the content in the draft charter and their voting rights.