'EC entitled to protest about reforms'

He was responding to a move by the Election Commission to file petitions to the National Council for Peace and Order, Cabinet, plus the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) and other bodies to oppose radical moves under the new charter that would greatly reduce its authority in regard to holding elections.
The EC opposed the charter drafters’ proposal to cut its authority to issue red cards to election candidates, a power that would be given the courts.
It also opposed the move to have two bodies in charge of elections – one as “regulator” and the other as “operator” with the EC assuming a supervisory or regulator’s role and a new body set up separately to run ballots. Known as the Election Organising Committee, the body would specifically manage polling. It would comprise seven state officials and one or two representatives from the civic sector. They would be appointed by the national police chief and permanent secretaries from six ministries – Defence, Interior, Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, Public Health, Education and Transport.
There has also been strong opposition to the NRC’s proposal to merge the Office of the Ombudsman and the National Human Rights Commission.
Wissanu said the reform process would spur differences and all state agencies and the government would be affected.
“They are entitled to their opinions and that should not be a problem. The EC has made the right move to protest if they think the changes are not good,’’ he said.
Wissanu also defended the CDC, saying that committee had no intention of staging war with all sides. But while drafting of the new charter was almost completed, changes could be made still.
The interim charter stipulates that the NCPO, the CDC, Cabinet, the NRC and the National Legislative Assembly must receive the draft and give comments about the charter.
The NLA will then call a meeting to vote whether to accept the charter. The CDC would have to amend the charter on the points that are rejected, Wissanu explained.