Meechai Ruchuphan
| Meechai Ruchuphan | |
|---|---|
| มีชัย ฤชุพันธุ์ | |
| President of the National Legislative Assembly | |
|
In office 11 October 2006 – 20 January 2008 |
|
| Preceded by | Pokin Polakul (President of the House of Representatives) |
| Succeeded by | Yongyuth Tiyapairat (President of the House of Representatives) |
| President of the Senate of Thailand | |
|
In office 28 June 1992 – 21 March 2000 |
|
| Preceded by | Ukrit Mongkolnavin |
| Succeeded by | Sanit Worapanya |
|
Prime Minister of Thailand Acting |
|
|
In office 24 May 1992 – 10 June 1992 |
|
| Monarch | Bhumibol Adulyadej |
| Preceded by | Suchinda Kraprayoon |
| Succeeded by | Anand Panyarachun |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand | |
|
In office 2 March 1992 – 22 March 1992 |
|
| Prime Minister | Anand Panyarachun |
|
In office 7 April 1992 – 9 June 1992 |
|
| Prime Minister | Suchinda Kraprayoon |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
2 February 1938 Bangkok |
| Nationality | Thai |
| Occupation | legal expert, civil servant, politician |
| Signature |  |
Meechai Ruchuphan (born 2 February 1938 in BangkokThai: มีชัย ฤชุพันธุ์, rtgs: Michai Ruechuphan) is a Thai legal expert and politician.
Meechai has completed a bachelor's degree in law from Thammasat University and a master's degree in comparative law from Southern Methodist University, Texas. He participated in the Texas Legislative Internship Program.
After his return to Thailand, he became a civil servant at the Office of the Council of State, rising to become head of the law drafting division. He was appointed legal advisor of prime minister Sanya Dharmasakti in 1973 and permanently assigned to the Office of the Prime Minister. During the military rule he was appointed a member of the Nationale Legislative Assembly in 1977 and in the same year deputy secretary-general of the prime minister.
In March 1980, he was appointed minister to the Office of the Prime Minister in the cabinet of General Prem Tinsulanonda. He held that position during all of Prem's eight-year rule and even after the change of government under Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan until 1990. Concurrently, he served as Senator from 1983 to 1989. In April 1991 he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister, serving under Anand Panyarachun and then under his successor General Suchinda Kraprayoon. Meechai also was president of the 1991 Constitution drafting committee.
After Suchinda's resignation under public pressure in the course of the events of Black May on 24 May 1992, Meechai acted as caretaker prime minister until a new head of government (Anand Panyarachun for a second term) was appointed on 10 June.
Afterwards Meechai served as Senator again and was the Speaker of the Senate from 1992 to 2000. In this position he presided over a constitutional tribunal which ruled as legal an executive decree of the Suchinda administration (reportedly drafted by Meechai himself) that amnestied those responsible for the shooting of protesters. Meechai was critical of the 1997 draft constitution that had been elaborated in a long process under intensive participation of the civil society. He deemed some of the provisions too progressive, e.g. the article that declared all discrimination on grounds of social origin illegal. This was in Meechai's view incompatible with Thai culture that held it normal to crawl on knees in front of the king and unthinkable to confront him upright and akimbo. However, he finally supported the passage of the constitution in order to avoid political chaos giving the Asian financial and economic crisis and the hope that many had set on this draft.
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