Minority NRC to debate issue
A minority of National Reform Council (NRC) members will reserve the right to further debate the proposal to directly elect a PM and Cabinet, spokesman Prasarn Mareukpitak said yesterday.
“I and other NRC members like Chai Chidchob and Lt-General Titiwat Kamlang-ek disagree with this proposal and we reserve our rights to discuss in the NRC meeting on December 15-17,” he said.
Prasarn, spokesman for NRC panel on political reform, said the majority of members agreed with the direct election proposal at a meeting last Monday but they did not vote on it.
All NRC panels have to forward their proposals to the NRC, which is due to consider all topics next week before forwarding them to the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) by December 19, the spokesman explained. CDC members will also participate in the NRC meeting.
He said his panel may discuss the proposal again at a meeting today but he believed the majority would not change their minds.
“I don’t agree with this system because it would not resolve the problem of buying of votes. To win, a candidate would need to have deep pockets because he or she would need to campaign across the country.”
