Politics of Thailand - Politics of Constitutions

Politics of Constitutions

Before the Revolution of 1932, the kingdom had no written constitution. The monarch was the originator of all laws and the head of the government. In 1932 the first written constitution was promulgated, expected to be the most important guideline of the kingdom. However when political disputes took place among the elites, the first military coup was effected in 1933. The first official constitution was removed, a new one was promulgated. The constitution has traditionally been considered to be the symbol of 'democracy' in Thailand, and certainly the public has been indoctrinated to believe this.

All of Thailand's charters and constitutions have recognized a unified kingdom with a constitutional monarchy, but with widely differing balances of power between the branches of government. Most Thai governments have stipulated parliamentary systems; however, several of them also called for dictatorships, e.g., the 1957 Constitution. Both unicameral and bicameral parliaments have been used, and members of parliament have been both elected and appointed. The direct powers of the monarch have also varied considerably.

Thailand's 'popular Constitution', called the "People's Constitution" was successfully promulgated in 1997 after the 1992 Bloody May incident. Publicly, constitutional devices have often charged as the root of political turmoil. The 1997 Constitution was considered a landmark in terms of the degree of public participation involved in its drafting as well as the democratic nature of its articles. It stipulated a bicameral legislature, both houses of which are elected. Many civil rights were explicitly acknowledged, and measures were established to increase the stability of elected governments while new organs supervising the administrative power also emerged for the first time such as The Constitutional Court, The Administrative Court and The Ombudsman. These organs later became a threat for the politicians particularly when Thaksin Shinawatra, one of the most popular politicians in Thai history, was trialled with the case relating to his assets.

However, following an army-led coup on 19 September 2006, the 1997 Constitution was abrogated. The junta ruled the country by martial law and executive decree for weeks, until it promulgated an interim constitution on 2006-10-01. The Interim Constitution allowed the junta to appoint a Prime Minister, legislature, and drafting committee for a permanent constitution. Though decrees on mass media control were declared, the political skirmishes and rally happened. The critics on the papers were seen. With the changing political atmosphere, seemingly, pressed the junta to comply, local and municipal elections were held as usual. In 2007 the new constitution was eventually issued, said 'junta-support constitution' for many critics.

The King of Thailand has little direct power under the constitution but is a symbol of national identity and unity. King Bhumibol — who has been on the throne since 1946 — commands enormous popular respect and moral authority, which he has used on occasion to attempt to resolve political crises that have threatened national stability.