National Reform Council to form panel to gather ideas from public
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The National Reform Council will establish a committee to gather opinions from the public about how to reform the country, according to NRC vice president Tassana Boontong.
Tasana said yesterday that the ad hoc committee would look to engage with the public to collect ideas and views from all social groups.
The panel also will look to bring past research and reports on reforms conducted by various institutions or organisations to analyse and evaluate in order to suggest them to constitution drafters.
Wanchai Sornsiri, interim NRC chief whip, said once the NRC approved the conference regulation drafted by rule drafting committees, the next phase will be selecting members for ad hoc committees by the whips. The interim chief whip said the NRC’s urgent task was to propose reform ideas to the constitution drafting committee (CDC) by December 19.
He said ad hoc committees on each reform area were responsible for gathering ideas and considering reform proposals, however he stressed that any proposals must be approved by NRC members.
Debate on drafting of NRC meeting rules is set for tomorrow and key discussion will be on the establishment of 17 ad hoc committees.
The committees will focus on reform areas such as political, public and local administration, energy, labour, mass communication and information technology, sports, science and research technology innovation, and, social values-art-culture-morality and religion.
The committees will each have a minimum of 13 members, up to 29 at the most. A quarter of committee members can be non-NRC members selected by NRC whips.
A NRC whip committee will also be set up with 28 members. Its responsibility will be to oversee coordination between the NRC, National Council for Peace and Order, National Legislative Assembly, courts, independent organisations and other relevant bodies.
They will also compile reports on NRC meetings, consider issues relegated by the Council and establish five more ad hoc panels to monitor and propose reform ideas to the Constitution Drafting Committee, provide views about the country’s future, encourage public participation, do public relations for reform and finally, draft the NRC’s agenda on reform.
