Concern over 'fixing' of NRC candidates
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Election Commission (EC) secretary general Puchong Nutrawong suggested yesterday that the selection of National Reform Council (NRC) members might be delayed following allegations of candidate "fixing" at provincial level.
He said the National Council for Peace and Order may call another round of the NRC selection if there were any repercussion or controversies in the selection process.
“We may not have 250 NRC members in one round. It is up to the NCPO to decide whether there should be another round of selection to ensure transparency,” he said.
Former deputy Senate speaker Anan Ariyachaiphanit filed a complaint with the Election Commission (EC), calling on it to investigate the selection process.
Anan said the fact that some members of the NRC selection committee in Surin were relatives of NRC applicants may not be fair to him and other NRC candidates. He warned that lack of good governance in the selection process might doom the reform efforts.
Puchong allayed Anan’s concern, saying Anan was just speculating because at this stage no one including Anan knows who has been selected. The EC was not allowed to look at the selection results and the selection is done via a secret vote.
“The selection committee members are people with prestigious positions and no one wants to risk ruining their record,’’ he said.
National Legislative Assembly (NLA) first deputy chairman Surachai Liengboonlertchai yesterday dismissed fixing allegations in the NRC selection process at provincial level.
Surachai insisted that the selection process of the NRC nominees had been carried out in accordance with standard procedures. The committees take into account the candidates’ merit – competency and knowledge, he said.
The NRC selection panels voted in secret to select candidates, he added.
The NCPO would decide whether the names of the first round of selected candidates are announced. He said that disclosing the identity of first round selected candidates would help ensure transparency but there was a risk that selected candidates may try to lobby to secure NRC seats in the final round.
Puchong said that 68 provinces so far have completed the NRC selection process, while the remaining nine provinces would submit selected candidates today.
