The problems of consensus building and institutional design in Thailand’s constitutions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61462/cujss.v47i1.783Keywords:
Thailand’s constitutions, political institutions, democratic transition, consensusAbstract
This research examines the problems of constitution’s consensus building and institutional design in Thailand’s democratic transition and analyzes the aforementioned drawbacks in the 2016 Draft Constitution. The paper finds that for the past 80 years, Thailand’s political landscape has been mainly dominated by a rivalry between the conservative and the democratic forces. In general, the conservative power wins the competition and suppresses its rivals. This has led to frequent changes of the Constitution: 19 constitutions were not based on consensus. Although some constitutions showed a certain level of compromise, such as the ones in 1974 and 1997, the compromise occurred only among the elites. This problem in turn affects the institutional design; the linkage between the people and the political institutions cannot be established. Some constitutions allowed for an appointed Senate and non-elected Prime Minister. Moreover, the independent organizations were created, without any tie to the people, to monitor and control the elected institutions. This study also argues that the basic hindrances of the 2016 Draft Constitution are twofold: firstly, the need for consensus based on democratic norms; and secondly, the lack of linkages between the people and the political institutions. Specifically, the electoral system for MPs does not reflect the will of the people.
Downloads
References
Amon Chantharasombun. 1996. Kan patirup kanmueang : Constitutionalism thang-ok khong Thailand. [Political reforms: Constitutionalism as solution]. Bangkok: Bualuang Funds Co., Ltd. (in Thai)
Amon Raksasat. 1998. Ratthathammanun chabap prachachon phrom bot wichan. [People’s constitution and comments]. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Press. (in Thai)
Anusorn Limmanee. 1998. Thailand. In Political party systems and democratic development in East and Southeast Asia volume I: Southeast Asia. Aldershot, Hants: Ashgate.
Bandit Chanrotchanakit. 2015. The constitution of kingdom of Thailand: Khwam pen ma lae sara samkhan. [The constitution of kingdom of Thailand: Background and summary]. Bangkok: King Prajadhipok's Institute. (in Thai)
Cheibub, Jose Antonio. 2007. Presidentialism, parliamentarism, and democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Constitution Drafting Committee. Rang ratthathammanun 2559. [Constitution Draft B.E. 2559]. http://library2.parliament.go.th/giventake/content_give/cdc58-cons2559-doc01.pdf. (Accessed on November 25, 2016) (in Thai)
Diamond, Larry. 2011. A fourth wave or false start?: Democracy after the Arab Spring. Middle East Democratization. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/middle-east/2011-05-22/%20fourth-wave-or-false-start. (Accessed on March 12, 2016)
-----. 2016. The next democratic century. http://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/diamond_the_next_democratic_ century.pdf. (Accessed on March 11, 2016)
The Election Commission of Sisaket. 2016. Sathiti kanlueaktang soso pen kan thuapai Thailand. [The general electoral statistics of member parliament in Thailand]. http://www2.ect.go.th/download.php.Province=sisaket&SiteMenuID= 9196. (Accessed on April 20, 2016). (in Thai)
The Election Commission of Thailand. 2016. Khomun phakkanmueang thi yang damnoenkan yu na 30 March 2559. [Information on the existing political parties in March 30, 2016]. www.ect.go.th/th/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/ข้อมูลพรรคการเมือง.pdf. (Accessed on October 1, 2016). (in Thai)
-----. 2011. Khomun sathiti kanlueaktang samachik saphaphuthaenratsadon 2554. [The general electoral statistics of members of parliament in Thailand B.E. 2554]. Bangkok: The Election Commission of Thailand. (in Thai)
-----. 2016. Prakat khanakammakan kanlueaktang rueang phon kan oksiang. [Announcement of the Election Commission about the voting results]. http://www.ect.go.th/th/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/ect110816.pdf. (Accessed on November 20, 2016). (in Thai)
-----. 2016. Sarup khomun thuapai kiaokap kan oksiang prachamati wanthi 19 August 2550. [Information summary about the referendum in August 19, 2007]. http://www.ect.go.th/th/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/stat_ref50.pdf. (Accessed on February 20, 2016). (in Thai)
-----. 2016. Sathiti kanlueaktang samachik saphaphuthaenratsadon nai kanlueaktang thuapai phutthasakkarat 2476-2550. [General electoral statistics of member parliament in Thailand B.E. 2476-2550]. file:/C:/Users/sri/Downloads/file_ 63aac9caf530f87caaaf4e09139c2bbc%20(2).pdf. (Accessed on April 20, 2016). (in Thai)
Fukuyama, Framcis. 1992. The end of history and the last man. New York: The Free Press.
Higley, John. 1995. Consolidation and transition. In The encyclopedia of democracy volume II, ed. Seymour Martin Lipset. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly.
Howard, Wiarda J. 2005. Comparative politics: Critical concepts in political science. New York: Routledge.
Huntington, Samuel P. 1991. The third wave: Democratization in the late twentieth century. London: University of Oklahoma Press.
Karl, Terry Lynn. 1990. Dilemmas of democratization in Latin America. Comparative Politics 23(1): 8-9.
King, Anthony. 1969. Political parties in Western democracies: Some skeptical reflections. Polity 2(2): 111-141.
King Prajadhipok's Institute. 2006. Kanlueaktang samachik saphaphuthaenratsadon khrang thi 24 wanthi 2 April 2549. [The 24th parliamentary elections on April 2, 2006]. Thankhomun kanmueang kan pokkhrong. [Political database]. kpi2.kpi.ac.th/wiki/index.php/การเลือกตั้งสมาชิกสภาผู้แทนราษฎร_ครั้งที่_24_วันที่_2_เมษายน_2549. (Accessed on April 29, 2016). (in Thai)
Kramon Thongthammachat. 1988. Kanlueaktang phakkanmueang lae sathianraphap khong ratthaban. [Election, political party, and government stability]. Bangkok: The Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University. (in Thai)
Kurian, George Thomas, ed. 2011a. Consensus. The encyclopedia of political science Volume 1. Washington, DC: CQ Press.
-----, ed. 2011b. Parliamentary Democracy. The encyclopedia of political science Volume 4. Washington, DC: CQ Press.
Linz, Juan J., and Alfred Stepan. 2001. Toward consolidated democracies. In The global divergence of democracies, eds. Larry Diamond and Marc F. Plattner. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
McFaul, Michael. 2002. The fourth wave of democracy and dictatorship: Noncooperative transitions in the postcommunist world. World Politics 54(2): 212-244.
Moten, Abdul Rashid. 2008. Government and politics in Malaysia. Singapore: Cengage Learning Asia.
Noranit Setthabut. 2015. Ratthathammanun kap kanmueang Thai. [Constitution and Thai politics]. 2nd ed. Bangkok: Thammasat University Press. (in Thai)
O’Donnell, Guillermo, and Philippe C. Schmitter. 1986. Transition from authoritarian rule: Tentative conclusions about uncertain democracies. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Potter, David. 1997. Explaining democratization. In Democratization, eds. David Potter, David Goldblatt, Margaret Kiloh, and Paul Lewis. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Pridi Banomyong. 1974. Prachathippatai lae ratthathammanun bueangton kap kan rang ratthathammanun. [Democracy and preliminary constitution with constitutional drafting]. Bangkok: Niti Wet. (in Thai)
Rustow, Dankwart. 1970. Transitions to democracy: Toward a dynamic model. Comparative Politics 2(3) (April): 346-347.
Saneh Chammarik. 2008. Kanmueang Thai kap patiwat tulakhom. [Thai politics and the revolution in October]. In Chak 14 Thueng 6 Tula. [From 14 to 6 October] eds. Chanwit Kasetsiri and Thamrongsak Phetloetanan. 4th ed. Bangkok: The Foundation for the Promotion of Social Sciences and Humanities Textbooks Projects. (in Thai)
-----. 2006. Kanmueang Thai kap phatthanakan ratthathammanun. [Politics with constitutional evolution]. 3rd ed. Bangkok: Rueankaeo Press. (in Thai)
Schattschneider, E.E. 1942. Party government. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
Seni Khamsuk. 2015. Miti prachathippatai nai kanlueaktang thuapai 3 July 2554: Mati kan khaengkhan chak kan chat song phusamak khong phakkanmueang 41 phak. [Democratic dimension in the general election on July 3, 2011: The competitions of the candidates of the 41 political parties]. Nonthaburi: Sukhothai Thammathirat University Press. (in Thai)
-----. 1995. Rabop phakkanmueang Thai 2512-2534. [Thai political party system in B.E.2512-2534]. Ph.d. diss. The Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University. (in Thai)
Shin, Doh Chull. 2008. The third wave in East Asia: Comparative and dynamic perspectives. An Asian Barometer Conference on the State of Democratic Governance in Asia. www.asianbarometer.org/newenglish/publications/ ConferencePapers /2008conference/sec.1.1.pdf. (Accessed on March 12, 2016)
Siripan Nogsuan Sawasdee. 2008. Phakkanmueang lae rabop phakkanmueang. [Political party and party system]. In Kham lae khwamkhit nai ratthasat ruam samai lem 2. [Words and concepts in contemporary political science volume 2], eds. Prudhisan Jumbala and, Ake Tangsupvattana. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn university press. (in Thai)
-----. 2015. Politics of electoral reform in Thailand. Ph.d. diss. Kyoto University.
-----. 2016. Tham khwam khaochai rang ratthathammanun kon long prachamati. [Understanding constitutional draft before referendum]. https://www.facebook.com/siripan.nogsuwasdee?fref=ts. (Accessed on July 24, 2016). (in Thai)
Siripan Nogsuan Sawasdee, et al. 2014. Kham lae naeokhit nai prachathippatai samaimai. [Words and concepts in modern democracy]. Bangkok: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES). (in Thai)
Sombat Thamrongthanyawong. 2005. Kanmueang kan pokkhrong Thai: Yuk phadetkan - yuk patirup. [Thai politics:The era of the dictatorship-the era of the reform. Bangkok: Samaotham Press. (in Thai)
Somchat Ropkhop. 1980. Kan Rang Ratthathammanun 2517. [Constitution Draft B.E.1517]. Master’s thesis, Political Science, Chulalongkorn University. (in Thai)
Surachat Bamrungsuk. 2015. Democracy 3.5 muea lom prachathippatai phat huan. [Democracy 3.5 and return to democracy]. In King Prajadhipok's Institute. Dun-amnat Nai Kanmueang Kan Pokkhrong Thai. [The balance of power in Thai politics]. 2nd ed. Bangkok: The Institute. (in Thai)
Suthachai Yimprasert. 2007. Phaen ching Chatthai. [Plan to usurp power in Thailand]. 2nd ed. Bangkok: P. Press. (in Thai)
-----. 2008. Sai than prawattisat prachathippatai Thai. [The history of Thai democracy]. 2nd ed. Bangkok: P. Press. (in Thai)
-----,ed. 1993. 60 pi prachathippatai Thai. [Sixty years of Thai democracy]. Bangkok: The Committee of Sixty Years of Thai Democracy. (in Thai)
Thak Chaloemtiarana. 2005. Kanmueang rabop phokhun upatham baep phadetkan. [Politics in the despotic paternalism]. Trans by Phanni Chatphonrak, Prakaithong Sirisuk and, Thamrongsak Phetloetanan. 2nd ed. Bangkok: Thammasat University Press. (in Thai)
Thanet Aphonsuwan. 2012. Paet thotsawat sayam patiwat: khwamkhit wa duai rabop prachathippatai nai raya plian phan. [Eight decades of Siamese revolution: The concept of democratic transition]. Bangkok: Pridi Banomyong Institute. (in Thai)
Thawinwadi Burikun. 2014. Saphap panha sangkhom Thai nai patchuban: Sueksa nai miti khunnaphap sangkhom lae thang-ok. [Thailand’s current social problems: A case study of the dimension of social quality and solution]. In Sathaban Phra Pokklao. Ratthathammanun klangplaeng: Naeothang kan patirup phuea kan phatthana prachathippatai. [The alfresco constitution: Reform for democratic development]. Bangkok: The Institute. (in Thai)
Ukrit Patthamanan. 2001. Khrongsang thang kanmueang mai : Sathanaphap lae panha. [Thailand’s new political structure: status and problems]. In 2540 Chut plian prathet Thai. [The turning point in B.E. 2540], eds. Kanoksak Kaeothep and Nuannoi Trirat Bangkok: Institute of Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University. (in Thai)
Yoshifumi, Tamada. 2008. Myths and realities: The democratization of Thai politics. Kyoto: Kyoto University Press.
-----. 2009. Prachathippatai kan thamhai pen prachathippatai lae kan ok chak prachathippatai khong prathet Thai. [Democracy, democratization and democratic failure in Thailand]. Fa Diaokan 6(4): 132. (in Thai)
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2017 Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Public Licensing Terms
Copyright and Licensing Policy
The Chulalongkorn University Journal of Social Science publishes all content under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Copyright
All published articles in the Chulalongkorn University Journal of Social Science are the copyright of the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University. Authors transfer all rights to the journal upon acceptance of their manuscript for publication.
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License
Under this license:
-
Attribution (BY): Users must give appropriate credit to the authors, the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, and the Chulalongkorn University Journal of Social Science, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. They may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses them or their use.
-
NonCommercial (NC): Users may not use the material for commercial purposes. Commercial use requires prior written permission from both the authors and the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University.
-
NoDerivatives (ND): If users remix, transform, or build upon the material, they may not distribute the modified material. Adaptations of the work require prior written permission from both the authors and the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University.
Open Access Statement
The Chulalongkorn University Journal of Social Science provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author, in accordance with the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.
Self-Archiving Policy
Authors may archive the final published version, preprints, or postprints of their articles in institutional repositories or on their personal websites, provided that they acknowledge the original publication in the Chulalongkorn University Journal of Social Science with a complete citation and a link to the journal's website.
Permissions
For any use beyond those covered by the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license, please contact:
Editorial Office
Chulalongkorn University Journal of Social Science
Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University
Email: cusocscij@gmail.com
For more information about the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, please visit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
