| Thailand's New Constitution To Be Ready By July 6 |
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BANGKOK, Jan 26 (Bernama) -- Thailand's new constitution would be ready by July 6, said a member of the charter writing panel Friday.
Prof Somkid Lertpaitoon, secretary to the 35-member Constitution Drafting Committee, said that the first draft should be finished by April 15 and ready to be submitted to the main Constitution Drafting Assembly in the first half of June.
The Thai News Agency (TNA) reported that the charter writers would spend the last two weeks of June polishing the final version, which would eventually be put to a referendum, the first time this is being done in Thailand -- which is a pre-requisite for the new elections and the return to democracy promised by the military rulers who came to power after the coup last year that ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Prof Somkid said the final draft constitution would be ready by July 6, meeting the six-month deadline.
Earlier on Thursday, the committee elected a former intelligence chief as chairman.
Prasong Soonsiri, who was among the 10-member charter writers hand-picked last week by the military Council for National Security (CNS) under its quota, narrowly won with one vote over Akrawit Sumawong, who received 17 votes. Akawit is vice president of the Supreme Administrative Court.
Despite Prasong's election as the panel chairman, both Prof Somkid and Akrawit voiced confidence that the charter writers would maintain their independence.
Prof Somkid added that the 35 panel members would start work immediately on Friday.
They would be divided into three groups. The first group oversees the chapters on rights, freedom, public participation and local government. The second group is responsible for the chapters on political parties and institution and the last group looks after the chapters on the judiciary and independent bodies.
-- BERNAMA
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