Prayut tells NRC to follow Defence Ministry proposals
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Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday told the National Reform Council (NRC) to use the proposals of the Defence Ministry as guidelines for national reforms.
The premier said during his weekly television programme last night that the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence had already gathered information and public opinions on 11 issues for reforms and sent them to the NRC.
The NRC members should consider the guidelines and decide which points they want to add or change, he said.
Responding to criticism that the NRC members were not competent for the task, he said the National Council for Peace and Order had provided all information.
“We have prepared and arranged the information with no instructions. We give them only the questions with no answers. They should come up with the answers themselves,” he said.
NRC member Chai-Anan Samudavanija told The Nation yesterday that he had no desire to become NRC president as speculated.
He said he was interested in a post on the Constitution Drafting Committee and was ready to nominate himself for the position.
He believed the CDC would be able to work independently and not be dominated by the NCPO and the government.
“I don’t think the government wants to control the game. If they really [want to] they would pick or draft their own charter. No need to appoint the drafting panel,” he said.
Borwornsak Uwanno, secretary-general of the King Prachadipok Institute, said he would push for social reforms before political reforms and would propose his institute’s study results to the NRC.
He said he disagreed with the idea of extending the working time of the NRC because they should follow the Provisional Constitution’s timeframe.
As of yesterday, 163 NRC members had reported for work at Parliament.
