CDC to go ahead with merging of rights body with ombudsman

– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community

PHUKET: The Constitution Drafting Committee yesterday stood by its plan to merge the National Human Rights Commission with the Office of the Ombudsman as stipulated in the new charter’s Article 275.

A CDC source said that despite the NHRC raising objections about the merger being highly inappropriate, the issue was dealt with by some of the drafters and resolved at a meeting later.

The CDC reasoned that this new body will unite the two organizations, though the charter drafters will not come up with a name for the new outfit.

A CDC source said the meeting also reviewed new stipulations about the Parliament president and deputies, and concluded that the president must come from the government’s side, while the first deputy Parliament president must come from the opposition.

However, the process of naming deputies will only be done once a new cabinet is put in place.

The meeting also discussed Article 282 on the reform of the legal and justice system in relation to the Administrative Court and Courts of Justice.

This article deals with the enforcement of regulations ensuring that each court abides by its own processes.

This week the CDC is scrutinizing pending articles that have yet to be finalized and holding closed-door meetings in order to give drafters an opportunity to voice their thoughts freely.

— Phuket Gazette Editors