New Mandala readers may recall my earlier post about Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) dark horse Okas Tepalakul. Okas, a car dealer from Chachoengsao province (and classmate of coup supremo Sonthi) gained the most votes from members of the National People’s Assembly (NPA).
In the latest development the junta has announced its selection of 100 CDA members (from the 200 selected by the NPA). Looking down the list I was, for a moment, worried that Chachoengsao’s democracy warrior had fallen by the wayside. But, thank goodness, there he was at position 100 on the list. A slight name change to “Okart” but unambiguously “Tepalakul”.
Once again, I invite readers to submit profile information on this rising star. One reader has already provided the following:
Okas indeed attended class 4212 of the National Defence College. The chairperson of this class is none else then the deputy speaker of the National Legislative Assembly, Potjanee Thanavaranit. In October 2005, both Potjanee and Okas organized a congratulatory party for Sonthi Bunyaratgalin, their class mate.
Further contributions very welcome!
Although I cannot comment on his credentials, it would be unusual for the person who received the most votes (initially) to be left out in the next round.
Even if he is a stooge/puppet for Sonthi, I am not too concerned for the following reasons:
- He is only one person/voice/vote
- I think it important that Sonthi’s views be known, and argued
- There has been, and will continue to be, intense scrutiny of the drafting process
- The final constitution has to be ratified by public referendum
Dont let me spoil the mud slinging though.
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It might not be surprising that the person with the greatest number of NPA votes was one of the 100 approved by the junta. But the junta did not just select the 100 people who received the greatest number of votes.
The BMW executive who received the 2nd greatest number of votes (Pharani Leenuthapong) and the Nong Bua Lamphu construction contractor who received the 3rd greatest number of votes (Suwit Pipatwilaikul) were not chosen.
Yet the junta gave an approving nod to 4 NPA members who received the lowest number of votes (7). They were Phisit Lee-Atham (a Democrat), Wichai Roobkhamdee (an academic), Wicha Mahakhun (a Supreme Court judge), and Apichart Damdee (a comedian).
Again, let’s not think too much about this comic horse and pony show. Because these 100 will not be drafting the constitution. These 100 will be distilled by the junta into a group of 25 hard-core loyalists. These loyalists will be “assisted” by another 10 direct junta lackeys. And we all know that Sonthi has his own personal ideas on how the constitution will look.
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More interesting, perhaps, than Okas is that an almost complete closely-knit phakphuak of academic politicians from Thammasat University has made it to the final 100, namely Noranit Sethabut (the leader), Somkhit Lertpaitoon (his right-hand man), Nakarin Mektrairat (his left-hand man), and Wutisarn Tanchai (an associated member of the phuak). Noranit has variously been tipped to become the chairperson of the constitution drafting committee.
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Srithanonchai: “closely-knit phakphuak of academic politicians from Thammasat University”
You mean they taught there? Law, I presume. What makes them close-knit?
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Acharn Noranit tought at the Faculty of Political Science and was Rector during the 1990′s. The others wouldn’t neccesarily be from the same faculty – they might have been his vice-rectors or deans.
I’ll let Srithanonchai clarify as to what makes them close knit, except to say that most Thai universities promote their leadership from within. This leads to horrible university politics.
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Jon: the leader was with the faculty of political science, then president of Thammasat. He later became secretary-general of the King Prajadhipok Institute. He also chairs the present government’s committee to establish a “political development committee.” Somkhit is with the faculty of law, and deputy president of Thammat. He used to be a member of the first CDA. Nakarin is the present dean of the faculty of political science. Wuthisarn is with the faculty of social administration. What makes them close-knit? A long history of shared and successful experiences, I suppose.
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Interesting opinion piece in today’s Bangkok Post:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/04Jan2007_news15.php
I particularly like the last paragraph:
“Although hailed as one of the best charters ever written, the 1997 Constitution has proved to be no match for tricky politicians of the Thaksin administration. One particular area the charter drafters need to take a serious look at and to rectify is the check-and-balance mechanisms, which include all the independent organisations that were originally thought capable of coping with political abuses or excesses, but instead proved to be ineffective. But, in the end, a constitution no matter how good, is not the ultimate answer to political reform. It is just the tool by which a nation like Thailand fulfils its political aspirations _ the success of which depends largely on the users of the charter. Which, in this case, means the politicians and, especially, the voters. If most of our voters continue to vote with their hearts rather than their minds, or continue to vote for whoever offers them the highest price, we will continue to have the same kind of unscrupulous politicians in parliament. And all the effort spent on writing the best ever constitution would have been a complete waste.”
Democracy has a long way to go in Thailand, as evidenced by the fact that someone as flawed and discredited as Thaksin continued to receive electoral support.
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Is not Nakarin a real modern historian willing to buck official versions of events and recast them as what really happened, even if it mght offend some in the palace? If so, what does his presence mean here?
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Jon: “Is not Nakarin a real modern historian willing to buck official versions of events and recast them as what really happened, even if it mght offend some in the palace? If so, what does his presence mean here?”
They all bring some expertise useful in the drafting of a constitution, I suppose, right?
I wonder what their prior political experience has been, whether they were involved in the drafting of the 1997 constitution? I guess a lot of the research that goes on at the King Prajadhipok Institute (PKI) influenced the drafting of the constitution and politics under the constitution?
Editorial: “Although hailed as one of the best charters ever written, the 1997 Constitution has proved to be no match for tricky politicians of the Thaksin administration.”
I know the appointments for some key commissions were never even made and the NHRC was completely ignored, but the history of 1997 constitution and how it succeeded and failed, I guess no one has written anything about it yet?
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Er no, he is not. You obviously did not hear about Nakharin’s recent academic suicide, writing the monarchy out of the 6 October massacre in his recent book on the monarchy and political development. Far from offending them I would think the Palace would like to send him a bouquet of flowers. Or, they already have?
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Somsak Jiamtheerasakul has something to say about Nakarin’s latest book here:
http://www.sameskybooks.org/webboard/show.php?Category=sameskybooks&No=539
and here
http://www.sameskybooks.org/webboard/show.php?Category=sameskybooks&No=547
This might explain why Nakarin is now hand picked by the CNS.
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