House to deliberate bills to lower minimum age of local government presidents
Thailand’s House will deliberate six bills to cut the minimum age for local government presidents from 35 to 25, opening doors for younger candidates.
The House of Representatives is scheduled to deliberate six amendment bills seeking to lower the minimum age of candidates contesting for the presidency of local administrations.
Three of the bills have been submitted by the Bhumjaithai Party and the other three by the Chart Pattana Party.
The proposed amendments aim to reduce the minimum age of candidates for the posts of presidents of provincial administrative organisations, tambon administrative organisations, and municipal mayors from 35 to 25 years old.
Political observers said the move is apparently aimed at allowing the young children of powerful provincial political clans to establish a foothold in local politics through top positions in local administrations.
The six bills seek to amend the Provincial Administrative Organisation Act, the Tambon Council and Tambon Administrative Organisation Act, and the Municipality Act.
The three bills proposed by Bhumjaithai were sponsored by party leader Anutin Charnvirakul and 19 MPs from his party. They were submitted to the House in January and have now been placed on the House agenda for deliberation on Thursday.
The three Chart Pattana bills were sponsored by MP Nattawut Prasert and 19 other MPs from the party. They were submitted this week and will be deliberated together with the Bhumjaithai bills.
The sponsors argued that young but capable members of the new generation should be given the opportunity to help develop the country by running local governments.
