Muan Maha Prachachon lays a firm political foundation for the NCPO v Nepal's move to hold a major Buddhist event is shrouded in suspicion over its motives v Internal dissent over its charter draft stance is troubling the Democrat Party
Support basecould shift
Endorsement of the draft charter early this week by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) wasn't unexpected, although the question on many people's lips is how the movement will keep itself relevant and how it will position itself after the general election next year.
The PDRC, now functioning as the Muan Maha Prachachon for Reforms Foundation, and its rival red-shirt United Front for Democracy (UDD) chose last Sunday to declare their stances on the draft charter. It wasn't in the least surprising that the groups would have contradictory views, with Muan Maha Prachachon throwing open its arms in welcome.
The foundation chairman, Suthep Thaugsuban, had mostly favourable comments on the draft, saying its contents were conducive to national reforms and in line with what the PDRC campaigned for when it led months of street protests against the Yingluck Shinawatra administration.
The position it took on the draft charter was the direct opposite to not only the UDD but also the Democrat Party, from which several core PDRC figures broke away early in the mass protest that began in October 2013.
Mr Suthep is one of them. He has repeated several times that he has turned his back on politics. The former secretary-general of the Democrat Party is adamant about not returning to the political stage.
However, sources close to the PDRC say in fact that some of these figures have not completely severed ties with the party that gave them a political platform and under whose auspices they had contested past elections and won.
The foundation's acceptance of the draft charter came not long after Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva formally announced the party had found the draft document to be less than agreeable on a number of points, including the prickly issue of an appointed Senate to be bound up in the second question that will be put to voters at the referendum on Aug 7.
The Democrat leader warned a "yes" vote to the second question, which would pave the way for an appointed Senate to intervene in the selection of a prime minister, could escalate political conflicts.
Political analysts believe that the differing views about the document by the foundation and the Democrat Party are not necessarily putting them on a collision course.
This is because the foundation and the party will play different post-election roles.
Predictions are being made by some pundits that the Democrats will lose backing at the polls since a lot of its supporters are also members of the PDRC. Certain people who identify with the Democrats -- who have now grown to favour the military junta because the coup toppled a government they did not trust -- might be tempted to vote for any party which appears to be aligned with the military in the poll.
The foundation, in the meantime, would likely remain in the background to lend the military the support it needs, according to the analysts.
The sources said the 250 appointed senators would be chosen by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) from two pools of pre-screened candidates.
The sources said the assumption was that in picking Senate candidates, the NCPO would look at people it can trust and who could work with the next government. It is being speculated that quite a few members of the National Reform Steering Assembly and the National Legislative Assembly, who anointed the second referendum question, could make the cut for the Senate. Several of them enjoy ties with the PDRC.
Forgive me for being cynical
The Nepalese government has expressed an intention to host a world Buddhist meeting to commemorate Visakha Bucha Day, known as Vesak Day in some other countries, next month, but some wonder if the event might be exploited to promote tourism.
The Himalayan country is rebuilding and recovering from a devastating earthquake that hit the country on April 25 last year.
A delegation from the World Fellowship of Buddhists, including representatives from Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia and Thailand, as well as media members visited Nepal last week to take part in a ceremony marking the one-year anniversary of the devastating 2015 earthquake.
Ananda Prasad Pokharel, Nepal's minister of culture, tourism and civil aviation, told the delegation that the Nepalese government wished to host the Buddhist meeting to mark Visakha Bucha Day on May 20.
Visakha Bucha Day commemorates Lord Buddha's three major life events -- his birth, enlightenment and death.
The minister said it was appropriate for Nepal to host the event because Lord Buddha was born in what is now part of present-day Nepal.
His birthplace is known as the Lumbini Garden, which has become a holy pilgrimage site for Buddhists worldwide. Located in Rupandehi district in western Nepal, Lumbini was designated a World Heritage Site in 1997.
Despite being a predominantly Hindu country and the Communist Party sharing power, the Nepalese government still attaches importance to Buddhism. Therefore, the country's offer to host the world Buddhist meeting should be good news to all Buddhists.
Buddhists account for only 5% of its population.
The Nepalese minister said the topics for discussion at next month's meeting will centre around the Lord Buddha, other previous Lord Buddhas, and those who will attain enlightenment as Lord Buddhas in the future.
The minister said he had instructed Lumbini Buddhist University to compile information for participants.
He also said participants at the meeting will enjoy visa-free travel to the country, adding that the event is expected to be held in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, where accommodation is readily available.
The government will provide accommodation for them, but participants must pay for other expenses themselves, because Nepal remains cash-strapped following the earthquake.
The minister confirmed Nepal's commitment to hosting the meeting, having visited Thailand last week and paying a courtesy call on the ministers of tourism and culture, the National Office of Buddhism, and Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, the acting supreme patriarch.
The minister also floated an idea to turn Lumbini into a large Buddhist pilgrimage complex to draw Buddhists worldwide, on a par with Mecca, the religious centre of the Islamic world.
In fact, several other non-Buddhist countries also recognise the importance of Buddhism and hold activities to celebrate it. India recently announced plans to hold activities to mark Visakha Bucha Day this year, while Indonesia, which has the largest Muslim population in the world, also wanted to designate Visakha Bucha as one of the country's major festivals by planning activities at Borobudur, the famous ancient Mahayana Buddhist temple in Java.
At first, the good news from the minister excited and delighted members of the World Fellowship of Buddhists delegation before certain facts began to sink in.
Some members wondered whether and how the meeting could take place given that there is less than a month to prepare. Some also suspected this could be a publicity stunt to promote Nepal tourism.
Still, Nepal's push to host the Buddhist meeting deserves praise and the support of all Buddhists who should work together to make it happen as an act of homage to the Lord Buddha on the important occasion of Visakha Bucha Day, according to the delegates.
Things get a little rocky
The fate of the draft constitution, and the second question in the referendum of having an appointed Senate, is starting to affect the popularity of Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjaija since he announced the party found the latest charter version unacceptable.
Mr Abhisit has disappointed a number of Democrat supporters who are also members of the People's Democratic Reform Committee, which earlier this week publicly welcomed the draft charter with open arms, according to political sources.
Mr Abhisit insisted at a press conference that the party felt the draft document contained content that was more disagreeable than agreeable.
The disappointment of the document's supporters could result in the party being hurt politically at a time when a general election is little more than a year away under the National Council for Peace and Order's (NCPO) roadmap, the sources said.
Mr Abhisit, as is fast becoming apparent, is not winning any popularity contests for speaking out against the draft, and the central question being echoed among Democrat supporters is whether he had party backing to make the announcement.
The issue is being amplified, with critics saying no party decision could be made official given the NCPO's ban on the convening of political meetings that would enable Democrat executives to reach a formal resolution or establish a stand.
Coming to Mr Abhisit's defence is Sathit Pitutecha, the Democrat deputy leader and former MP for Rayong. He insists the party's announcement on the draft charter and the second referendum question was an example of the collective opinion of the majority, if not all, members of the party.
"Where we the Democrats stand as a party and what we think are in sync with everything Mr Abhisit said [at the party's press briefing on the draft charter last Sunday]," Mr Sathit noted.
He said higher office holders should not begrudge the announcement but give the points raised due consideration. If possible, the points should be used to plug the loopholes in the draft charter and prevent potential problems in the future, for the sake of national interest.
Mr Sathit said people should be allowed to air their opinions freely about the draft charter. While the document was being touted as one of the most advanced and effective in combating corruption, other areas, such as election methods and the appointed Senate, were widely viewed by academics and some experts as possible weaknesses.
Mr Sathit said the more the NCPO and the government tried to convince the people that the draft charter was democratic in spirit, the harder they must work to give the people channels to debate the contents and guarantee free-flow of views from all sides.
Despite the former MP's defence, some critics feel the party's announcement has already dented its popularity rating.
That, coupled with expert analysis that the draft charter, if promulgated unaltered, would lead to large political parties garnering fewer seats than before and becoming smaller, would paint a rather gloomy picture for the Democrats ahead of the general election next year.
