MP-minister proposal is about fairness: CDC
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Constitution Drafting Commission adviser Jade Donavanik has defended the CDC's proposal to allow constituency MPs to become ministers without quitting their MP seats, reasoning that it would help ensure fairness in the new election system.
He said yesterday the proposal would facilitate the one-ballot election system because if constituency MPs had to quit their seats, a by-election has to be held and the new votes may affect party-list calculations.
By-elections for party-list MPs were not needed because people next on political party lists could replace MPs who take up ministerial posts.
Jade said the move would help ensure that ministers carry out legislative work. Many times ministers do not attend House sessions, claiming they are no longer MPs, he said.
In relation to the proposed indirect election for senators, National Institute Development Administration academic Sombat Thamrongthanyawong wants to know how the CDC would ensure that all professional groups take part in the election.
If that did not happen there could be complaints from professional groups that do not take part in the election, he said.
He said France adopted indirect election for its Senate but the country clearly indicated that local councils had the right to vote for senators. “It is clear in the law who are members of local councils. But I have not seen any country use our method,’’ he said.
He said the indirect election method needed a huge fund if implemented but the Senate, as designed by the CDC, would have little power. “The question is whether it is worth spending the money for this,’’ Sombat said.
He said the CDC should heed the public’s call for directly elected senators. “If the CDC refuses the people’s demand, it has to give a valid reason,’’ he said.
He said that to prevent a “spousal Senate” or an Upper House in which members were relatives or wives of Lower House MPs, the CDC could ban relatives or partners of MP candidates from being Senate candidates.
The charter writers should indicate that professionals with more than 20 years experience in any field or professionals aged over 45 years could be candidates.
