NSRA readies reform proposals

During the initial period of the meeting, some members advocated reform proposals that had been advanced by the previous drafting commission led by Borwornsak Uwanno, which has since been dissolved, but others opposed the idea saying the CDC should not refer to a draft charter that had already been rejected.

The proposals of the previous commission included reforms covering law and the justice system, local and central administrative bodies, and anti-corruption measures.

A second proposal was to reform education, public health, social welfare, art, culture and consumer protection. Thirdly, the commission advocated economic reform. And last was a proposal to reform natural resources and environmental management, town and country planning, energy policy, and science, technology and innovation strategies.

NSRA members including Seree Suwanpanont and Kamnoon Sidhisamarn disagreed with the proposals on the basis that the present CDC might be losing an opportunity by copying the former commission’s ideas.

Another member, Alongkorn Ponlaboot, said the NRSA had only a limited role in helping to formulate the draft charter, unlike the National Reform Council. He added that the interim charter specified that the assembly should focus on expediting the reform process.

After three hours of discussion, the assembly resolved that each member should be allowed to present a reform agenda without being bound by any specific rules or principles.

Kamnoon suggested that the mechanism to drive national reform should operate separately from the government’s normal administrative bodies in a capacity that would later be defined by legislation. In the case of conflict between the body to operate the reform mechanism and parliament, the Constitutional Court or a public referendum could settle the issue.

The NSRA’s political committee has already submitted a framework proposal for political reform to the chairman of the CDC, Meechai Ruchuphan, according to Seree, who suggested that the assembly’s other 11 committees do likewise. Alongkorn asked all committees to submit their proposals to the chairman of the NSRA, Thinnapan Nakata, by Monday.