National People's Assembly of Thailand

The National People's Assembly of Thailand, also referred to as the National Assembly or National General Assembly, was the name used for two temporary, historically distinct assemblies convened in Thailand in 1973 and 2006. Neither institution functioned as a permanent legislature in the usual parliamentary sense. Instead, each assembly brought together a large and broadly selected group of citizens from different sectors of Thai society. Its principal institutional purpose was to choose members of a Constitution Drafting Assembly, which would then prepare a new constitution. Once the constitution-drafting body had been established, the National People's Assembly ceased to exist. The first assembly emerged from the political crisis surrounding the 14 October 1973 uprising, which ended the long period of military-backed authoritarian rule associated with Thanom Kittikachorn and created pressure for a new constitutional settlement. King Bhumibol Adulyadej convened a National General Assembly to participate in the formation of a Constitution Drafting Assembly. Because the gathering took place at the Nang Loeng Racecourse in Bangkok, it became popularly known as the Racecourse Assembly. Its significance lay less in ordinary lawmaking than in its role as a transitional consultative and selection mechanism during a period of constitutional reconstruction. The second assembly was established after the Council for Democratic Reform seized power in September 2006. As in 1973, the assembly was created as part of a process intended to produce a replacement constitution after a political rupture. King Bhumibol Adulyadej commanded the formation of the body, which consisted of 1,982 members. The assembly was formally opened on 17 December 2006 by Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn at the Royal Thai Navy Convention Centre in Bangkok's Bangkok Yai District. On the following day, 200 members were nominated as candidates for the Constitution Drafting Assembly. Their names were submitted to the Council for Democratic Reform at the Royal Thai Army headquarters, after which 100 were selected to serve on the constitutional drafting body. The National People's Assembly should therefore be understood as a transitional constitutional institution rather than as a commercial brand, standing parliament, or continuing governmental department. It had no permanent product portfolio, corporate ownership structure, publicly traded status, or continuing executive leadership in the business sense. Its historical importance derives from the way Thailand used broad, temporary assemblies to channel political transition into constitution-making in two separate periods. The 1973 and 2006 bodies shared a name and a general constitutional function, but they arose from different political crises and should not be treated as one continuously operating organization.

The National People's Assembly of Thailand is a name applied to two temporary assemblies created during major constitutional transitions. The first was convened in 1973 after the 14 October uprising. Its purpose was to contribute to the formation of a Constitution Drafting Assembly responsible for preparing a new constitution. The meeting was held at Nang Loeng Racecourse in Bangkok, leading to the informal designation Racecourse Assembly. It was not intended to replace Thailand's permanent legislative institutions or to operate as a continuing parliament. After the constitutional drafting body had been formed, the temporary assembly ended. The name was used again in 2006 following the seizure of power by the Council for Democratic Reform. King Bhumibol Adulyadej commanded the establishment of the new assembly, which comprised 1,982 members. The body was formally opened on 17 December 2006 by Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn at the Royal Thai Navy Convention Centre in Bangkok Yai District. On 18 December, 200 members were nominated to serve as candidates for a new Constitution Drafting Assembly. The nominations were submitted to the Council for Democratic Reform at the Royal Thai Army headquarters, and 100 nominees were selected for the drafting body. Once that process had been completed, the National People's Assembly again ceased to have a continuing institutional role. Across both episodes, the assembly's defining characteristic was its temporary and constitutive nature. It gathered citizens from various sectors for the limited purpose of participating in the selection of constitution drafters. It was therefore a transitional mechanism associated with constitutional reconstruction rather than a conventional legislative chamber, political party, company, or consumer-facing brand.

• 2006

  Second National People's Assembly established

  [1]National People's Assembly of Thailanden.wikipedia.org

  Following the Council for Democratic Reform's seizure of power, a new assembly of 1,982 members was established for a further constitutional transition.

• 2006

  Second assembly formally opened

  [1]National People's Assembly of Thailanden.wikipedia.org

  Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn opened the 2006 assembly on 17 December at the Royal Thai Navy Convention Centre in Bangkok Yai District.

• 2006

  Constitution-drafting nominees selected

  [1]National People's Assembly of Thailanden.wikipedia.org

  On 18 December, 200 members were nominated for the Constitution Drafting Assembly, and 100 were later selected by the Council for Democratic Reform.

• 1973

  First National General Assembly convened

  [1]National People's Assembly of Thailanden.wikipedia.org

  After the 14 October uprising, a national assembly was convened to help create a Constitution Drafting Assembly. Its meeting at Nang Loeng Racecourse gave rise to the name Racecourse Assembly.

A temporary constitutional-selection and consultative assembly used during periods of political transition in Thailand.

• 2006

  Re-establishment of the assembly after the 2006 power seizureStrategy

  Background

  The Council for Democratic Reform created a new constitutional process after taking power in 2006.

  Action taken

  A 1,982-member National People's Assembly was formed, and it nominated 200 people for consideration for the Constitution Drafting Assembly.

  Aftermath

  The Council for Democratic Reform selected 100 of the 200 nominees to constitute the drafting body, after which the National People's Assembly ceased to operate.

  Source

• 1973

  Use of a temporary assembly for constitutional reconstructionStrategy

  Background

  After the 1973 political uprising, Thailand required a mechanism for selecting participants in a body that would draft a new constitution.

  Action taken

  A broad national assembly was convened to help form the Constitution Drafting Assembly.

  Aftermath

  The temporary assembly ended after the constitutional drafting body had been established.

  Source

1. 1National People's Assembly of Thailanden.wikipedia.org