BANGKOK
Thailand’s constitution drafting body has scrapped a proposal to bar members of the junta and other military-appointed assemblies from politics for two years, Thai media reported Saturday.
The plan by the Constitution Drafting Committee was designed to guarantee that those currently reforming the political system would not try to cling onto power once their task is completed, committee members said.
It was dropped Friday after drawing a strong rejection from junta chief and Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha, who said that if the military wanted, it could just decide “to keep power.”
The proposal had also been opposed by members of the military-appointed National Legislative Assembly and the National Reform Council.
Kamnoon Sidhisamarn, Constitution Drafting Committee spokesperson, announced Friday that only members of his panel would be banned from political activities after the new constitution went into effect, the Bangkok Post reported.
The political ban had been proposed by Committee member Jade Dhonavanik for members of the “five rivers,” the institutions set up after last May’s coup against the elected government of former premier Yingluck Shinawatra.
Dhonavanik said Wednesday that the ban would be aimed at preventing authorities from retaining power, and “would promote justice for every side.”
Chan-ocha voiced his opposition the following day by saying, “the only people who have to be barred from political activities are the members of the Constitution Drafting Committee.”
The Matichon news website quoted him as adding: “Nobody should suspect the current government to want to cling to power. If we wanted to keep power, we could just do it straightforwardly.”
The interim constitution, imposed after the military seized power, stipulates that the Committee’s 36 members should not be involved in politics for two years after finalizing their work to avoid “conflict of interests.”
A well-informed Thai judicial source recently told The Anadolu Agency the military had begun to prepare a political party in order to compete during the general election planned for early 2016.
According to the source, the pro-military party would appoint current Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan as prime minister in the event of winning the poll.
A clause in the constitution being drafted allows someone who is not an elected assembly member to become prime minister if proposed by a majority of lawmakers.
In addition to scrapping the political ban, the Committee also decided Friday to extend the term of the National Legislative Assembly until the appointment of a new Senate.
The National Reform Council and the Constitution Drafting Committee will also continue to operate for “210 days after the new constitution is promulgated,” notably to work on new organic laws regarding elections, the Post reported.
The country’s previous constitution – drafted in 2007 – was abolished by the Thai military, led by Chan-ocha and Wongsuwan, after the overthrow of Yingluck’s government.
