Panel to discuss reconciliation
The National Reform Steering Assembly will tomorrow discuss how to achieve national reconciliation. Alongkorn Ponlaboot, deputy chairman, said yesterday that after listening to members' suggestions, the NRSA would present its reconciliation proposals to a
On the idea of setting up a reconciliation panel to continue the work of the now-defunct National Reform Council led by Anek Laothamatas, he would seek the opinion of the NRSA chairman. He said the NRSA should be able to bring about reconciliation even though its members are from rival political camps.
Chairmen and deputies of the soon-to-be set up reform committees would be appointed. A centre for the public to give their input on national reform would also be set up at Parliament House.
The assembly has set a “1/1/18” timeframe for itself, with one month for drafting directives and appointing 11 reform committees, followed by one month for screening and prioritising 37 reform aspects and eight development plans.
The last 18 months would be for drawing up reform measures and forwarding them to the Cabinet and the National Legislative Assembly to be put into law, he said.
Suriyasai Katasila, director of Rangsit University’s Thailand Reform Institute, voiced concern that the five core agencies could not bring about reform results without commitment and a clear plan. “If they fail to agree to prioritise the reform issues and just pass the political hot potato from one to another, reform will not get started. We’ll only end up having a new charter and having the next government implement reforms,” he said.
The National Council for Peace and Order has wasted more than one year because it has pushed the reform responsibilities onto other core agencies. “The NCPO cannot do that anymore because we all know that the top agency determining the reforms and content of reforms is the NCPO,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said he has not seen a proposal made by former prime minister Thanin Kraivichian to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, urging him to impose a life ban on corrupt politicians and seize their assets through a special court.
Wissanu said it might have been submitted to the prime minister, but it has not yet been forwarded to him, so he could not make any comments on the matter. He rejected the notion that it was aimed at preventing Pheu Thai politicians from re-entering politics. Wissanu said there would not be a discussion on possible amendment of Article 35 under the interim charter during the meeting of the “five rivers” on October 28.
