Some news today on the possible shape of Thailand’s new constitution (my emphasis added):

Withayakorn Chiangkul (р╕зр╕┤р╕Чр╕вр╕▓р╕Бр╕г р╣Ар╕Кр╕╡р╕вр╕Зр╕Бр╕╣р╕е), the chairman of the Committee for People’s Participation in the Constitution Drafting, says people all over the country has shown much interest in the charter drafting, especially in terms of qualifications of MPs and senators…

…Mr Withayakorn also affirms there is still enough time to amend the charter draft to meet the public’s real needs and calls for the charter drafters to pay close attention to the public’s opinions.

As for the decentralization of power, Mr Withayakorn says it is essential to decentralize the government’s administrative power as well as distribute resources to people equally. He suggests that the new charter should authorize the formation of local councils, such as councils of the elderly, to strengthen Thai society in line with Thai culture and His Majesty the King’s Sufficiency Economy philosophy.

– Extracted from “Mr Withayakorn affirms charter drafters will afford public opinion”, Thaisnews (the re-branded website of the Thai government’s news agency), 18 April 2007.

Update: The full Thai language text of the draft constitution is now available here.

New Mandala readers may be particularly interested in Clause 82, among many others. Clause 82 reads: р╕гр╕▒р╕Рр╕Хр╣Йр╕нр╕Зр╕кр╣Ир╕Зр╣Ар╕кр╕гр╕┤р╕бр╣Бр╕ер╕░р╕кр╕Щр╕▒р╕Ър╕кр╕Щр╕╕р╕Щр╣Гр╕лр╣Йр╕бр╕╡р╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╕Фр╕│р╣Ар╕Щр╕┤р╕Щр╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╕Хр╕▓р╕бр╣Бр╕Щр╕зр╕Ыр╕гр╕▒р╕Кр╕Нр╕▓р╣Ар╕ир╕гр╕йр╕Рр╕Бр╕┤р╕Ир╕Юр╕нр╣Ар╕Юр╕╡р╕вр╕З . Obviously, New Mandala will be providing analysis of the draft constitution over the coming days and weeks. Of course our take may not always “follow the Sufficiency Economy philosophy”.