Democrats to try US-style 'caucus' system in Ayutthaya
In a pilot project, the Democrat Party will allow ordinary members in Ayutthaya to nominate a short list of election candidates for the next general election, deputy party leader Alongkorn Pollabutr said yesterday.
The new candidate system was part of a reform plan designed to give members a sense of ownership of the Democrat Party, he said.
Alongkorn, who oversees the Central provinces, said the new system would be modelled on the primary and caucus systems used in the United States. He was speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Democrats’ candidate-selection committee, which is chaired by Banyat Bantadtan.
The meeting resolved to introduce the primary and caucus system for selection of Democrat candidates in all regions, with a pilot project being launched in Ayutthaya.
“This is an innovation in Thai politics,” Alongkorn said.
He said Ayutthaya was chosen to host the pilot project because of its large economy and the fact that the Democrats have never won a House seat in the province.
The first caucus of rank-and-file Democrat members will be held at the Woraburi Ayothaya Convention Resort on May 4, Alongkorn said. About 200 party members and observers would join the caucus, he said. They will be allowed to nominate the persons they want to contest the next election under the Democrat banner. Nominated persons will be allowed to air their political visions, after which the attending members would hold a vote.
A list of the top nominees will be sent to the Central region committee, which will further shorten the list for Banyat’s panel, which will choose a final candidate for the party executive board to endorse.
Alongkorn said this method would allow the party to pick qualified candidates, while giving the public a chance to participate in the party’s affairs.
A group of MPs who favour reform held a meeting on Wednesday and proposed ideas for improving the party’s structure, Alongkorn said. Democrat chief adviser Chuan Leekpai supported the reform idea but disagreed with Alongkorn’s posting messages about reform proposals on Twitter, the latter said.
Nakhon Machim, a Phitsanulok MP, said that about 20 reform-minded MPs from all regions attended the meeting.
The meeting agreed to set up a panel of academics from various universities in 30 days to offer advice on how to improve the party’s structure.
After the party completes its reform blueprint, Alongkorn will propose it to the party’s advisory committee for submission to the party’s assembly, Nakhon said.
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