'More women lawmakers needed'

Women members of the National Reform Council should push for the number of women senators and MPs to be at least 30 per cent of the total as part of the reform drive in order to eradicate sexual oppression and inequality, NRC member Rosana Tositrakul said.

Rosana, a member on the energy category, was among 12 women NRC members who revealed their vision when they were congratulated for being named on the body at an event held by the Thai Women Watch Association yesterday.

There are 37 women members among the 250 NRC members.

Rosana believes the women members must help push for a greater role for women in society by pushing for regulations to increase the number of female politicians, senators and MPs to 30 per cent of the total. 

“The fact that we live in a male-dominated society reflects a certain degree of sexual oppression, which must be addressed and tackled,’’ she said.

Rosana said the social problem that must be addressed urgently is injustice and inequality. She proposed that people adopt the unconditional love that mothers have for children as the solution. 

NRC member Nareewan Chintakanont said a woman would be appointed a NRC deputy chairwoman when the council meets on Tuesday to select the chairman and his deputies. 

She said women members would meet to brainstorm on areas they would push to have reformed.

Member Kamnoon Sitthisamarn, who works on laws and justice procedures, said the NRC would appoint a committee to draft its meeting regulations after appointing the chairman and deputies.

Meanwhile, the NRC member from the northern province of Nan, Thikamporn Kongsorn, said problems related to natural-resource exploitation must be solved in an integrated and sustainable way. 

“People in communities must take part in the solution and must be able to identify the future of their community,’’ she said.

In a related development, Election Commission member Somchai Srisutthiyakorn admitted that the EC was among the agencies that was in dire need of reform but he disapproved of the idea of reducing the role and authority of the body. 

He called on the NRC to thoroughly study the issue before concluding whether the EC should be given more or less responsibility.

Somchai defended the EC’s handling of the political impasse early in the year when there were opponents and supporters of elections, saying the agency did it best to compromise to prevent casualties and losses.

Meanwhile, Somsak Prissanananthakul, a leader of the Chart Thai Pattana Party, yesterday submitted on open letter to the NRC calling on the council to reform the country and draft a new charter that does not create more political conflict.

He said the 2007 Charter focused on removing politicians under the wing of the Thaksin regime.

He believed this was the root cause for the country plunging into several years of political divisions that ran deeply across the nation and led to the political impasse early this year.

Somchai called on NRC members to strictly observe political neutrality and carry out their duty without political favouritism and discrimination. “Please possess the mindset that you must deal with all issues in a professional way. Do not let your emotional response interfere your sound judgement,’’ he said.