From the Thai-language
press: The constitution is dead? - editorial of Thairath,
September 28, 2005
Is it a coincidence that two days ago there was one
academic (Mr. Somkiet Pongpaiboon, Rajabhat of Rachasima
University) and one politician (Abishit Vejjachiva,
Democrat Party leader) who gave the same opinion of
the present political situation?
Ajarn Somkiet said at the seminar of The Senate
listens to the people that this senate came
from political reform and had independence to oversee
the law for the first two years. However by the third
year, we can see that it was interfered with by the
government so it can be controlled and direct lots
of votes. This interferes with its independence and
standards.
Mr. Abisit gave a special lecture to Master Degree
students in the Political Science Faculty that independent
organizations are not really independent because no
organization that can resist the power of the big
party. The mass media group is also covered and newspapers
were bought. Other media concealed the news that was
different from the government and recently the The
Weekly Thailand program which criticized government
was withdrawn.
It is accepted that not only the senate, but also
the Election Commission, Constitutional Court and
the Auditor-General cannot operate in their work independently.
The first Auditor-General after the office began,
Khunying Jaruwan Maintaka, had done well checking
the strange details of big projects such as Suwanabhumi
construction and long distance local call through
satellite, etc. This becomes a big obstacle for government
officials and politicians who are corrupt and face
their fate as we have seen.
The independent organizations' work was independent
and accepted by people at first because it was not
interfered. But when the powers realized that the
independent organizations had the power to penalize
or put politicians in jail or obstruct political power,
the situation changed.
At present, independent organizations have problems
such as the Election Commission of Thailand and the
State Audit Commission, etc. The most important is
the peoples' trust because this is not the peoples
hope. For the solution, even the former constitution
drafter, Mr. Kanin Boonsuwan, may have to write a
book called The Constitution is Dead."
Is the Constitution now only letters on paper?
The constitution is dead?
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