Better people needed for voters, say smaller parties
Smaller parties said political reform should centre around politicians, and called on other parties to recruit better people for voters to choose from and stop political monopoly.
The remark was a result of last week’s reconciliation, which was mostly joined by minor parties, the defence spokesman Maj-General Kongcheep Tantrawanich said at a weekly press briefing Wednesday.
He said the parties had reflected upon problems that existed in the old political structure, which was rife with disrespect of the law and corruption.
The old structure was comprised mainly of five groups: old power, new power, the people, independent agencies and financiers, Kongcheep quoted the parties as saying. The parties had also said that inequality lies in access to education, public healthcare service, natural resources, land and capital.
Participants of the reconciliation talks last week also said the political conflict was a result of conflict of interest of the old and new powers.
Selective enforcement of law, interference of independent agencies and corruption were the key problems emerging from both groups, they said.
Hence, the parties said, reform must be implemented and imposed on all sides indiscriminately.
“Politics is not the problem, it’s the people in it who are the problem,” Kongcheep quoted the politicians as saying. “So, parties should choose better people and maintain the rule of law.”
They also advised that reform should be carried out at both local and national levels.
Kongcheep said he wanted every participant to be free of prejudice and focus on solving problems to help push the country forward.
Next week’s talks will also be attended by minor parties and it is still unclear when Pheu Thai Party will be joining the peace talks. The Democrat Party already took part in the talks last week.
