Article 44 to be confined to administrative tasks: PM
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ARTICLE 44 will only be used to facilitate certain administrative tasks as the government is limited by a strict timeframe, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday.
Prayut, who is also head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), admitted that the government has had some difficulty in carrying out some tasks because the justice system “is influenced” by politics and “cannot operate properly”.
Yesterday, he presided over a third meeting of the Committee on Anti-Corruption.
Before the meeting, Prayut thanked members of the public and private sector for helping to fight corruption and went on to explain his reasons for implementing Article 44.
“All the processes [related to corruption] should move forward, especially the use of regulations to find a solution to the problem. If the process remains slow, Article 44 will be used to enable a faster process. The government has a limited timeframe – however, the article will have to be carefully used,” he said.
“[I] have to admit that there are some difficulties [in carrying out the task] as the justice system has been influenced [by politics] and cannot carry on their work properly. If there is any problem, please let me know and I will consult with the Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-Ngam.”
Apart from Wissanu, other key officials at the meeting yesterday were Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya, Deputy Defence Minister General Udomdej Sitabutr, and Prayong Preeyachitt, secretary-general of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC).
