Priime Minister Announces Charter Ammendment Proposal

A charter amendment draft proposed by the reform panel will be submitted to Cabinet for consideration next week, Prime Minister of Thailand Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday.

If there was agreement about the draft by all political parties, the six amendments would be submitted to Parliament for reading within the current session, the PM said.

The 6 amendments were proposed by the reconciliation panel on political reform and charter amendments, chaired by Sombat Thamrongthanyawong.

Abhisit said he had already submitted the proposed amendments to all political parties for consideration.

The Prime Minister added that the Sombat panel had conducted opinion surveys and the survey results would be concluded next week.

Abhisit said he had instructed the Sombat panel to draft the amendment bill and submit it to the Cabinet for deliberation on November 2nd.

"I personally think the easiest way to amend the charter is to implement the proposals of the panel," Abhisit said.

"If each political party wants to add its own proposals, the amendments cannot proceed."

The prime minister said he would try to convince all political parties to agree to the proposals of the Sombat panel.

The prime minister said a public referendum need not be held on the charter amendments because the government had already assigned the National Statistics Bureau and other agencies to carry out such surveys.

When asked whether the charter amendments should be done before a House dissolution, Abhisit replied: "It should be so. If we want to change the electoral system, the charter amendments should be done first."

The Prime Minister added that the Sombat panel had suggested the entire charter need not be overhauled now because more studies would need to be carried out.

Charter amendments are seen as part of ongoing efforts to bring about political reconciliation in the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, chief adviser of the Chart Thai Pattana Party, has been visiting all sides in the conflict and all political parties to seek reconciliation.

Sanan said yesterday he had been meeting members of all political parties and leading figures of all groups to try to bring about reconciliation.

He said his efforts seemed to be materialising now. He said the fact Abhisit and other Cabinet members could visit all flood-hit areas, which were normally strongholds of the government's opponents, indicated signs of reconciliation.

"The Prime Minister and Cabinet members could visit areas where people held opposing political views without problem. No protesters came out to shoo them away.

"People of all colours are united to help those affected by the flooding," Sanan said.

He said the flood disaster provided a good chance for all sides to show their goodwill and intention for reconciliation.

"After the water recedes, all sides must stop fighting and must come out to help the flood victims," Sanan said.

However, a Suan Dusit Poll indicated yesterday that forty eight per cent of people in 504 responding households did not believe that political divisions could be reconciled after the flood.

People in flooded areas were concerned only about their current situation as sixty three per cent expected the Government would deliver sufficient assistance to them.

Sixty per cent of them needed all basic necessities such as fresh water and food.

Source: The Nation