Bowing to increasing pressure for open debates on the draft constitution, the government has given a green light for debates to be staged in all provinces.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said Thursday that the debates will be open to all stakeholders under the supervision of provincial election commissions with the governors overseeing the debates in their respective provinces to make sure they are held in peace and order.
The above debates will be on top of the 10 debates to be staged by the Election Commission in cooperation with Thai PBS. EC will be responsible for setting the issues for the ten debates and all stake holders are invited, including the New Democracy Movement and iLAW which will be allowed to participate in some of the debates.
Regarding the query of a network of academics and activist groups about what the government or the NCPO will do next if the draft charter fails to go through the referendum, General Prawit said that the interim charter would have to be amended.
But he admitted that he was still in the dark about who will amend the interim charter and how. He said both the government and the NCPO would need to discuss the matter some time in the future.
