Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has given two months for a constitutional-amendment study to be wrapped up by universities so that moves to correct the charter’s faults can be started.

At the premier’s invitation, more than 130 university rectors countrywide met him at Government House yesterday to discuss controversial constitutional changes.

“This is the first time personnel from educational institutions have met to think scientifically about the country’s problems. We must turn crisis into opportunity,” Thaksin said.

He assigned the Higher Education Commission to host universities’ research into constitutional amendments. The results will be scientifically analysed so as to suggest appropriate reforms, he said.

Thammasat University rector Surapon Nitikraipot said the problems mentioned by the prime minister related to parts of the Constitution, not its whole.

He urged the prime minister to give some indication of which parts of the Constitution needed amending.

He gave examples of topics he thought himself were of interest to society, such as the requirement that prospective MPs be members of a political party for 90

days before a general election, whether MPs should be required to have a bachelor’s degree, the role of independent organisa-tions and the granting of ex-cessive powers to the executive branch.

Thaksin said the government could not provide any framework lest it be accused of bias and the academics should conduct the study themselves, leaving untouched any sections of the Constitution they agreed with.

Cabinet secretary-general Borwornsak Uwanno said many organisations had studied the Constitution in the past five years, including a Senate committee, the Election Commission and King Prajadhipok’s Institute.

Surapon then asked Thaksin which parts of the Constitution the prime minister deemed inappropriate.

Thaksin said the government did not want the only say and that academic leaders should not attempt to mask their differing opinions on the issues.

The process will never begin if initial perfection is a prerequisite, he said.

“Don’t worry too much. Don’t expect perfection before you start. We can only start today and seek perfection in the future,” he said.

Rector of Surat Thani Rajabhat University Narong Phuthicheevin asked for a time frame and what should be the next step in the process.

Thaksin said that the studies should be complete by the end of April.

After some discussion by other rectors, Narong asked again about the next step.

“The prime minister said he did not want the study to be emotional, so I want to know about the process, otherwise emotions will be a problem,” he said.

Thaksin said: “Don’t worry: I shall not let you be the slaves of your emotions.”

After primary information-gathering there might be a public hearing, he said.

Then will come the amendment process if the conclusions turn out to be clear.

If not, another committee might be appointed to carry out more studies.

Chulalongkorn University rector Suchada Kiranandana said that in the light of the many

past studies by many institutions, the universities should be able to conclude the studies in two months and decide which parts of the Constitution needed changing.

Academics should study what parts need changing before asking the people whether they want to change them, she said.

Thaksin agreed with her suggestion to take the studies by the Senate committee and King Prajadhipok’s Institute as the core and for universities or groups of universities to conclude which parts of the charter should be amended, before putting their conclusions to a public hearing.

He said he would assign Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam to liaise with the rectors and to inform the public of progress.

Surapon said after the mee- ting that there would be no progress, just another 137 research papers.

The prime minister is just trying to prolong the situation, he said.
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Faction seeks help
The Wang Nam Yom faction of the ruling party is seeking 20 supporters to call for a House panel to scrutinise constitutional amendments.
Thai Rak Thai party list MP Sophon Phetsawang from Buri Ram said over 10 MPs in the party agreed with his move but he needed altogether 20 signatures to file the motion with House Speaker Bhokin Bhalakula.He said his group saw a need to delete the clause in the Constitution that required candidates to belong to a political party for 90 days before a general election.
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Little bias seen
Media academics yesterday said reporting of the political rallies had largely been objective, despite some editorialising.
According to Euachit Virojtrairat, director of the Institute for Development of the People’s Mass Media, the press reports were mostly balanced but some groups gave more weight to the prime minister and his supporters than to those ranged against the government and skirted around the rallies or gave little detail of what went on on stage at them.