NRC gives NACC until April to get its house in order
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THE NATIONAL REFORM Council president Thienchay Kiranandana yesterday dismissed the possibility of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) being dissolved, saying the anti-graft agency just needs restructuring to boost its efficiency.
Thienchay, who is tasked with monitoring and evaluating the NACC, made the remark after meeting the agency’s high-ranking officials to discuss restructuring it to ensure it is in line with the new charter’s organic laws.
“I am not guiding them on changes as it is up to the NACC on how it wants to change the agency in detail,’’ he said.
He said the agency had until April to come up with a plan streamlining its works in three aspects: asset investigation, prevention and campaigns against corruption and the suppression of corruption.
Thienchay said the NACC’s weakest point was its efficiency and it needed to work faster – it needed to cooperate and coordinate efficiently with other agencies with which it would have to work when they are established.
NACC secretary-general Sansern Poljiak said part of |the reform of the agency involved responding to the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
Another change involved amending regulations to remove obstacles and boost its efficiency in fighting graft, he said.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission yesterday submitted a letter to the five core agencies to oppose the proposal to reduce its power and authority.
The letter was sent to the National Council for Peace and Order, the National Reform Council, the National Legislative Assembly, the Cabinet and the Constitution Drafting Committee. The media also received copies.
The agency opposes the move to have two agencies handle elections – one to control polls and the other to manage them.
In the letter, it said more than 90 per cent of countries had one agency in charge of elections.
It also said that if it lacked authority over civil servants and politicians, it may not be able to ensure clean and fair elections.
The EC also disapproves of the proposal for it to maintain its power to give a yellow card to election candidates while allowing the courts to give them red cards.
It said having to go through the judicial system would cause delays in the process and loopholes that would enable election candidates to carry out their duties and thus have the power to intimidate witnesses in court cases.
The agency also opposes the move to allow it to call a new election before the election results are announced and remove its power to revoke the election rights of candidates.
It said this would allow candidates who had adequate financial resources to run in elections as many times as they wished without fear of the law.
The agency hailed the scrapped 1997 Charter that gave it the full power to call a new election and revoke the election rights of candidates before and after election results were declared.
It said politicians committed less electoral offences under that charter.
The EC also disapproves of the proposal to stop it promoting democracy education in state agencies.
It said education and campaigns against vote-buying were the most important factors in a democracy.
