CDC's priority should be cracking down on corruption
Re: "Charter drafters to ban 'hate speech'", front page, January 15.
Whenever anything comes out from the Constitution Drafting Committee, I am always waiting for the other ramifications to drop. What will the next version of this item say? There are already caveats in the article itself. You can have freedom of expression – except when you can’t.
Wednesday’s headline on the CDC was “Parties to escape dissolution for overthrow of democracy”. So when the rank and file – following party orders – makes a law that challenges democracy and is against the interests of their voters (for example, an amnesty bill), that will be okay.
If this proposal becomes law, its first victims could be the CDC members who touted a version of the German electoral system for Thailand in an effort to stop too many people voting for one party and to ensure there would always be a coalition even if they did. It is true this system would stop one party getting all the “gravy”. Instead it would be shared among three or four parties. Corruption is pretty undemocratic. Coalitions are inefficient.
Former US President Lyndon Johnson putatively said, “It’s probably better to have him inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in.” Thaksin avoided the dilemma in 2001 by forming a coalition but keeping control of the prize money. It was only in 2006, when his personal excesses overstepped the mark, that there was any dissension.
The core of corruption in government is government contracts and the number of regulations covering the same thing. One rule says this, another rule says something different. Government contracts say you have one year to build this building, with a penalty for late delivery. Another rule is you are responsible for an environmental certificate that the BMA can do in three days, if it is willing, or in three months at “normal” speed or two years after you have finished the building.
Take ambiguities out of government contracts. Slim down the tomes of regulations and put all relevant law in the contract. Speed up legal proceedings.
Richard Bowler
