Southern folk want an elected PM and a crackdown on corruption

They voiced their opinions yesterday at a public hearing held by the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district.

Five groups gave their views to the panel on five topics. On the debate over desired rights, liberty and the duties of the people, the group said the charter must strengthen the people through rights and responsibilities to protect major institutions of the nation, religion and the monarchy, including justice.

The people must protect the constitution and join forces with the state to combat corruption, they said.

On the duties they desired for the state, the group suggested that the state must be a democratic one, and that administrates with good governance respond to the people’s demands. The state must educate citizens, giving them opportunities to check administrators through monitoring bodies established by the community. The state must promote decentralisation to strengthen local communities. It must pass laws to empower Human Rights Commission members, they said, and it must allow electors to share in its work through public hearings.

On a desired election system, the group suggested people should be given the right to vote for all levels of political office holders from the PM, Senators, MPs and provincial governors. They said the prime minister must be an elected MP. The Election Commission must clearly identify qualifications of MP candidates who must reveal their background and allow backdated asset investigation of at least five years. The number of MPs should not be more than 350, they suggested.

MPs should not have more than three aides to help in their work at constituencies.

They suggested that each province be an electoral zone and their preferred election system is one MP per one constituency. They also proposed independent MP candidates to allow representatives from ethnic groups and professional groups to represent the people.

They proposed that political parties announce the list of PM nominees they supported and the Cabinet list.

 On desired decentralisation, the group proposed that the CDC adopt the self-management decentralisation style that the Law Reform Commission (LRC) chaired by Kanit Na Nakorn had designed. The LRC suggested 70 per cent of taxes collected be injected into local government and 30 per cent to central government. Electors should directly vote to elect local leaders or the so-called kamnan who serves a term of five years.

On the matter of national reform, the group called for the establishment of the House of the People – comprising representatives from people across the country to check politicians and government officials suspected of graft. They also suggested a special court be set up to handle only corruption cases to expedite cases and complete trials within 180 days.

The group also suggested that MPs not come under the banner of political parties and they added that reform be achieved first before a general election is held.

They also wanted a lifetime ban for political office holders found guilty of electoral fraud. Voters who accepted money in return for votes would face hefty fines and jail terms.

The public hearing also wanted the CDC punished if it drafted an undemocratic charter in the form of returning their salaries to the state. Meanwhile, more than 2,000 people from 14 southern provinces will take part in a public hearing tomorrow organised by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district to voice their opinions on the content of the charter.

Peerasak Porjit, vice president of the NLA, said the assembly would accept public opinions to be put into the charter’s organic laws.

Commenting on the indirect election of Senators by professional groups and legal bodies, he said it was not yet clear who could apply to be senatorial candidates.