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Published on March 31, 2008

The group of Midnight University academics said it was not right for the government to change only a few articles to try to gain a  political edge.

The group has been opposed to the 2007 Constitution on the grounds that it was drafted and passed by a chamber installed by the 2006 coup-makers.

The group yesterday held a seminar on the charter at the Thai Journalists Association.

Somkiart Tangnamo, leader of the group, said his group needed to hold the seminar because politicians were planning to amend the charter at will.

He said Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was planning to amend only certain articles without seeking the opinion of the opposition and without planning to hold public referendum.

"This will bring the country back to the era of dictatorial Parliament," Somkiart said.

"So, we would like to propose that the entire charter be amended."

Kasian Tejapira, a lecturer of Thammasat University's Faculty of Political Science, said the People Power Party was clearly planning to amend the charter to give power and benefits to politicians without caring about the public interests.

He said the politicians in power were rushing to amend the Constitution by claiming that they did not want to bother the people.

"But this show that politicians are using the people as pawns again," Kasian said.

"I worry that the people will end up getting double bad luck. They will get half-baked democracy against their will. So, the people must be allowed to take part in the amendments instead of only watching."

Somchai Preechasilpakul, a lecturer at Chiang Mai University, said the amendments had become a war between two groups - the group that defends the 2007 Constitution and the group of politicians.

He said People Power was planning to amend the charter so that it would have more political power.

At the end of the seminar, Somkiart read a statement of the Midnight University, which said in part that the 2007 Constitution became an important factor that caused conflicts in Thai society.

The statement said the structure and intention of the current Constitution lacked legitimacy.

At the same time, the other side was trying to change the charter for power and vested interest without taking public interest into account, the statement said.

It said if only certain articles of the Constitution were amended, the amendments would benefit only some groups and conflicts would escalate.

"As a result, the entire Constitution should be amended, based on the model of the 1997 Constitution, and the public should be allowed to take part through public hearings," the statement said.

The Nation