Charter amendment for public benefit, says Thai gov't spokesman

BANGKOK, March 31 (TNA) – Spokesman of Thailand’s ruling Pheu Thai Party Prompong Nopparit says the upcoming charter amendment process, which will be put forward to parliament for debate from April 1-3, is purely for the benefit of the people. Prompong insisted the bill neither would neither reduce the power of the people nor be an advantage to politicians, especially to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who had been in self-exile overseas. He said the 2007 constitution was undemocratic because it was written by military-appointed committee following the bloodless coup of September 19, 2006, which ousted the elected Thaksin government. The opposition whip meanwhile, had charged the charter amendment process, including the government’s two trillion baht infrastructure loan bill which sailed through first reading in the lower house last Friday, as non-transparent. Meanwhile, a new survey by ABAC Poll showed that up to 83.8 per cent of the public said they believed political violence would continue even after the charter was amended. They said the only solution was for the government to dissolve the House after the amendment. (TNA)