Legislative assembly accepts the idea of non-MP premier without question
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NOT a single member of the National Legislative Assembly voiced opposition yesterday to a constitutional clause that would allow a non-MP to become prime minister.
However, only a few NLA members openly expressed strong support for the contentious provision during an unenthusiastic session.
NLA member Somporn Thepsithar said the prime minister did not have to be a member of House of Representatives.
He said that in the past Thailand had government leaders who were not elected members, such as General Prem Tinsulanonda, who is now president of the Privy Council. Somporn claimed that during Prem’s eight-year premiership, Thailand had the least corruption in its history.
“It is a great opportunity for those who are not representatives but have good qualifications and honesty to serve this country,” he said.
At their meeting yesterday, NLA members freely debated different articles of the new constitution draft.
NLA member Somjed Boontanom voiced concern over a provision that would empower senators to propose new laws.
“It contradicts the principles of the previous charters,” he said.
He disagreed with having senators from both direct election and appointment, saying there should be just one method for all members of the Senate.
Senate ‘not successful
with impeachments so far’
Somjed noted that the Senate had never successfully impeached any politician for wrongdoing. He said the new charter would be a tool for the government to impeach their opposition, but not the other way around.
NLA member Taweesak Suthakavatin, who is also part of the junta-appointed assembly’s panel on politics, voiced concern about the proposed mixed-member proportional (MMP) electoral system and a clause that would allow political interest groups to participate in the parliamentary system.
“Our panel earlier discussed MMP, which is a complex electoral system. What we worry about most is the issue of buying votes, and we believe this new system will be unable to eradicate that issue,” Taweesak said.
He also said the provision to allow interest groups to contest elections could be viewed as an attempt to undermine political institutions. “This may greatly affect the political system in the future,” he warned.
Somporn disagreed with Taweesak. He said this could be a good opportunity for people to send their representatives in Parliament.
Meanwhile, NLA president Pornpetch Wichitcholchai said Cabinet and the National Council for Peace and Order had the authority to decide together if there would be a national referendum on the new constitution.
If they agreed to go for a referendum, the 2014 provisional constitution must be amended first, he said.
The NLA president said the assembly could not propose holding a referendum itself.
Rather, it could vote on whether to approve a proposed amendment forwarded to it to require a referendum on the new charter.
