Deputy education minister cancels appointment order for fear of charter violation
Deputy Education Minister Kalaya Sophonpanich has cancelled her order to appoint 35 advisers for fear of the appointment would violate the constitution, a source from the Democrat Party said.
The source said Kalaya, a Democrat minister, signed an order on Thursday to appoint a 35-member advisory committee with former Krabi MP Pichet Phanvichartkul chairing the panel.
But, the source said, Kalaya was informed by the party’s legal experts that her appointment order could violate Article 185 of the charter because the advisory panel included three MPs and cancelled her order.
The article prohibits MPs from holding political posts in the government.
Earlier, Democrat leader and Deputy Prime Minister Jurin Lakssanawisit told Democrat ministers that they should select secretaries and advisers from among MPs or former MPS elected at least five times, the source added.
Speaking to reporters, Kalaya confirmed she cancelled the order although members of her advisory panel would not get antsalary and the panel would be different from political posts with salary.
She said she did not want her order to be deemed a violation of the charter later so she consulted the legal team of the party and cancelled the order.