Non-elected PM a non-issue: Prakorn
The debate over whether the next charter should leave room for a non-elected premier is a non-issue, as all but one of the 35 drafters oppose it, Constitution Drafting Committee spokesman Prakorn Priyakorn said yesterday.
Prakorn said the drafters might opt for a secret vote on the issue tomorrow, but even if they did it would not make a difference. "I'm confident that if there is a vote only Sriracha [Charoen-panich] will support it," Prakorn said. He said the drafters will follow the 1997 charter which excluded non-MPs from the top post in politics. The 1997 charter was nullified following last September's coup. Prakorn said debate on the issue had "crystallised" against allowing a non-elected premier but Sriracha's view had to be respected. Still, sceptics say it may not be that simple as about 20 of the 35 drafters have not expressed definite views on the issue. There were concerns they shared Sriracha's view, which has raised suspicions of an attempt to open the way for the junta or its representative to appoint a premier. The junta directly appointed 10 of the drafters and the rest were indirectly appointed. Prakorn said there were about 20 unresolved issues that would be decided by a secret vote tomorrow, although the committee would try to keep their number to as few as possible. He said he was not worried about public misgivings about the secrecy. Sriracha, meanwhile, distributed a position paper to rally support for his view yesterday and insisted he would push for a vote on the issue tomorrow.
Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation
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