"We aim to push for greater public participation in political reforms. The reforms must include people from all sectors and be free from parliament's influence,'' Suriyasai said.

The PAD has three requirements, he said. First, the reform process must be free of direct and indirect political interference. Second, the public must fully participate in deciding how to amend the Constitution. Third, the process must pave the way for major reforms that go beyond amending the charter. These would include amending laws to strengthen the public sector, and reduce centralisation as well as political dominance at the local level, he said. Suriyasai said one of the flaws in the Constitution was its failure to empower local communities. The Thaksin administration's CEO management style had also weakened local government, he said.

The political-reform process could be completed within eight months, he said.

"The current Constitution was drafted in eight months so this new draft should not take longer since it will rely on the current one for the most part,'' Suriyasai said.

Thicha na Nakhon, a representative of a public-sector network calling for political and social reform, said that the trick was to ensure those who drafted the constitutional amendments were not nominees of political parties.

She also said senators linked to politicians through families or friends would have to be blocked from playing a major role in the next Senate or it would have the same problems the last one did.

King-Oua Laohong

The Nation