Ministers endorse ruling party bill seeking to amend Article 291 and form a constitutional drafting assembly

The Cabinet yesterday endorsed a government bill seeking to amend Article 291 of the 2007 charter and allow the formation of a constitution drafting assembly.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said after the Cabinet meeting that the 99 constitution drafters - one elected in each of the 77 provinces and 22 appointed from legal and political science experts - would be given a free hand to amend the entire post-2006 coup charter.
When asked why the administration had made an about-turn from its previous position of not seeking charter changes by itself, Yingluck said the government did not want to lose the right to propose its own amendment draft after different groups - including the ruling Pheu Thai Party and the red shirts - had separately submitted their own drafts for parliamentary deliberation.
The prime minister also said constitutional amendment was part of her government's "urgent policies" declared before Parliament when it assumed office last August.
"The government did not want to start with charter amendment, as we wanted to focus on tackling the country's problems. But now that other groups have started their moves, the government does not want to lose its right to have its own draft for parliamentary deliberation along with the other drafts."
She also said the government draft would only seek changes to Article 291, which would pave the way for establishment of a constitution drafting assembly.
"The CDA will decide how to amend the Constitution. The government will have no involvement. And I insist this will have nothing to do with Thaksin [Shinawatra, ex-premier]," Yingluck added, in response to suspicions the changes would benefit her brother, who fled into exile prior to a criminal conviction by the Supreme Court several years ago.
A coalition source said the government's about-face had resulted from Thaksin having a change of heart on the issue. Thaksin earlier did not want the government to get involved with charter amendments, preferring that coalition politicians did so under Pheu Thai's name. But he changed his mind after seeing that opposition did not appear to be strong, the source said.
During the Cabinet meeting on the amendment bill, which lasted about 30 minutes, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung described the draft - prepared by the Justice Ministry - as "the best, most classic and most beautiful", according to a Government House source.
Chalerm said the draft would allow public participation from the beginning through to the end of the amendment process, with election of CDA members and a public referendum on the CDA's final changes.
Meanwhile, deputy government spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard said he had been assigned by the PM to invite all elements of society to take part in the process. He said public hearings would also be held.


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