NIDA to present 'wide-ranging' reform proposal
Warns Thailand faces stagnation if changes not made soon; initially offers suggestions on politics, judiciary, governance
The National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) will, by the end of this month, present a wide-ranging reform proposal to the government and the National Reform Council, NIDA president Assoc Prof Pradit Wanarat said.
The proposal, covering 16 areas, is considered to be the most comprehensive so far.
Pradit warned that if Thailand did not embark on wide-ranging reform to ensure the country is effectively administered, the Kingdom’s growth would be stalled in comparison to its neighbours in the next two or three decades.
The announcement was made at NIDA, where its reform proposal in three areas, namely politics, judiciary and governance, were presented yesterday.
Prof Sombat Thamrongthanya-wong, a political scientist and former NIDA president, who was tasked with outlining the “NIDA Model” or reform proposal on politics, was not present.
However, his one-page reform synopsis was distributed among participants.
His proposal pinpointed the need for new electoral rules, requiring that all competing political parties have members covering no less than 10 per cent of the total number of eligible voters nationwide.
This, the proposal said, was to ensure that all parties are true national political parties.
Sombat’s proposal also said the leader of the party that wins the highest number of MP seats should automatically become the prime minister, as this will ensure that the PM is independent and free of pressure from MPs.
Other proposals include requiring that MP candidates spend electoral campaign money through bank accounts to ensure transparency and that Senate members represent occupational groups in order to avoid having the upper House dominated by political parties.
An e-voting system should also be adopted to ensure elections are more effective, Sombat’s report said.
‘Eliminate double standards’
In terms of the judiciary, NIDA’s dean of law Prof Banjerd Singkaneti said double standards in the justice system must be eradicated.
He pointed out that some 70 to 80 per cent of lower-court rulings ended up being overturned by the Supreme Court, which clearly shows that there’s a problem.
He said the minimum age of lower-court judges should also be raised from 25 to 53 years.
Banjerd added that each criminal case cost Bt144,000 on average, which was too high and should be reduced via means that do not require the unnecessary detention of people.
Access to justice for poor and marginalised people should also be improved, Banjerd noted.
Prof Udom Tumkosit, from NIDA’s Faculty of Political Science who was tasked with coming up with a proposal on governance, said decentralisation and good governance were the key issues.
“At present, problems in Mae Hong Son province need to be fixed here in Bangkok. This is what I call a centralised state,” he said.
“We need to decentralise, so people can become self reliant. Don’t think for them.”
Udom said Thai bureaucrats still considered themselves the boss, not servants of the public – an attitude that needs to be changed.
Decentralise power
The professor also proposed the creation of a National Local Administration Council – giving it the same power as that of a ministry in a move to ensure decentralisation.
In a related development, students of the National Defence College’s Batch 2013 presented their version of national and military strategies for 2015 to 2019 yesterday in an event presided over by Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha.
The proposals included the introduction of a law banning any moves to seek “special favours” from state officials with a clear punishment clause.
They also said the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly needs to stay longer and ensure that good politicians are elected.
The students also proposed that a code of conduct be introduced for politicians and bureaucrats, not unlike the basic Buddhist precepts, in order to reduce corruption.
A mechanism should also be introduced to seize foreign assets of politicians and officials who commit corruption.
The students also said education reform needs to be made part of the national agenda.
