As each day passes, Thailand’s ruling party The People Power Party (PPP) discoverers another sharp tooth the hard way in the new constitution that is designed to keep bad boy politicians in line. When the constitution was drafted and adopted in 2007, it was done so with long reaching wisdom to insure political stability and to deal with corruption. The PPP is demonstrating their arrogance and will ultimately fall unless they change their ways and soon.
The new constitution was written, voted on and finally signed into law by the King in August 2007. When the constitution was drafted, the motivation was the Thai Rak Thai party (TRT) and Thaksin Shinawatra the prime Minister at the time. The Thais never want to let that type of government happen again. Thaksin and the TRT were ousted in the September 2006 coup, and that was the first step in drafting the new constitution. As things would have it the PPP is the reincarnation of the TRT and all the same problems are occurring.
The one difference now is the constitution provides for dealing with the likes of the TRT or PPP, and they don’t like it one bit. As a result the PPP made it a priority to change the constitution and remove the bad boy provisions. Simply put they wanted to call in the dentist to remove the teeth.
That arrogant desire triggered a chain of events that has lead to the return of street protests, and internal action inside the government now outlined in the new constitution. The senate wants to have a talk with them that could lead to censure, and the democratic party is looking at a no confidence vote.
In recent days the PPP has tried to control the media and that is just another one of those nasty teeth that is looking to bite them. Verbal instructions were given to provincial governors not to allow the broadcast of the opposition rallies by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD). This however leaves the governors in a precarious position. The choices are do what the boss says and suffer the fate of those constitutional teeth, or defy the boss and suffer whatever consequences there are from that.
The PPP has cited that the PAD may do harm to the PPP lead government, however the government seems to have that well under control and is continuing to harm itself successfully daily.
As each day continues in Thailand, the wisdom of the constitution becomes more clear, and a recent poll suggest that 60% of the people do not want the constitution changed as they see the wisdom.
A public-opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) found 60 per cent of respondents disagreed with a move to amend the Constitution, compared to 20 per cent who said they supported a rewrite.
So it all is coming down to be a good government and work hard for the people to help make their lives better because that is why they elected you. Certainly a no brainer if you stop to think about it.
