Don't be scared of change in the reform process, chief of NRC political panel urges
KRIS BHROMSUTHI,
KHANITTHA THEPPHAJORN
THE NATION

Sombat

BANGKOK: -- Chairman of the National Reform Council's political reform subcommittee has stood with his panel's proposal for election of the entire Cabinet despite opposition from his colleagues at the National Reform Council.

Sombat Thamrongthanyawong has urged people "scared of change" to keep an open mind about the reform process, saying change is needed.

Sombat was responding to reports that the subcommittee's initial conclusion on political reform - having a directly elected Cabinet and prime minister - was opposed by some NRC members.

"It is normal that people will be afraid of change, especially if they are not used to it," he said.

"Hence, it is more difficult to accept change, while it is very easy to stick to the conventions.

"This is why we are calling it a reform period, because change is needed. If [it is] not, then why are we calling it a reform?"

Sombat said he would accept the NRC's consensus.

One of the key debates for members of the NRC and the Constitution Drafting Committee relates to the type of parliamentary system implemented under the new constitution.

A CDC source said the debate centred on whether to directly elect Cabinet members, including the Prime Minister, or to stick with the current system based on the 2007 constitution. That system calls for the PM to select the Cabinet.

CDC member Kamnoon Sidhisamarn said the proposal to have directly elected Cabinet members had been debated by CDC members but no consensus had been formed yet.

The charter drafter said there was no guarantee the proposal would be submitted to the NRC and CDC for consideration because it was only an initial conclusion.

However, Kamnoon said that having a directly elected Cabinet would strengthen the executive branch, as past experience suggested the current parliamentary system tended to produce weak executives who lasted a short time in the job. As a result, there had been discontinuity in the country's administration.

Kamnoon said that if the proposal were implemented, the election system and the executive power boundary would need to be amended.

He also stressed that the pros and cons of using the proposed system would need to be carefully considered.

Sources have said that some NRC and CDC members do not like the proposal because the executive could become too powerful and too difficult to regulate and that could lead to a parliamentary dictatorship.

Some members will oppose the idea at the upcoming NRC meeting because they do not want to see the country used as a testing ground for a political innovation without any guarantee of it solving political problems.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Dont-be-scared-of-change-in-the-reform-process-chi-30248859.html

-- The Nation 2014-11-30

Don't be scared of change in the reform process

I wasn't scared until he told me not to be scared. Now I'm scared.

Stupid idea. What happens if one cabinet member drops off for somme reason, i.e. is ill? New elections?

Oh wait! What happens if one member is impeached? The whole cabinet is impeached and replaced by an unelected cabinet?

"... the executive could become too powerful and too difficult to regulate and that could lead to a parliamentary dictatorship."

Sounds like what we've had here for the last few decades ... so what's new?

Reduce the fear factor by trimming the nose hairs!!

Edited November 29, 201411 yr by daoyai

It's not "change" that is the problem.

The problem is the stupid ideas.

Thai reform. What does it actually mean? Does it mean freedom of speech? Does it mean adherence to law and order for all regardless of pecking order and social standing? Does it mean the elimination of nepotism and kleptocracy? Does it mean impartial justice for all? Does reform articulate the elimination of corruption and tea money? How? They just keep pontificating about reform without ever spelling out exactly what they mean.

Who say any reforms must be made suthep ?????????

Why listen to him

And of course the gestapo fool

Its all waste of time which have to be remedied after a real government legal take over after all this no bikini no umbrellas no taxi no massage and no more anything they really shot Thailand down and for what

Suthep didn't make that good impression on me so I thought we better follow him but he must.be the gestopo fools hero

However, Kamnoon said that having a directly elected Cabinet would strengthen the executive branch, as past experience suggested the current parliamentary system tended to produce weak executives who lasted a short time in the job.

Very obvious in the last administration where there were 6 cabinet reshuffles in less than 3 years, each time we were told the best person for the job had been chosen.

Where cabinet positions can be allocated to those with no qualifications for the job other than a relationship to the party head or for services rendered in the past, you are going to get not just weak cabinet ministers but completely useless ones.

Whether cabinet ministers are elected or not there needs to be some set of criteria to be adhered to, to ensure competent people are put in appropriate jobs.

The only ones who need to be scared of political reform are corrupt politicians.

"Sources have said that some NRC and CDC members do not like the proposal because the executive could .... lead to a parliamentary dictatorship."

But the NRC and CDC have no issues about serving the unelected Prayuth government with its NCPO handpicked cabinet and NLA.

Nobody is scare of reform, they are scared of you and your cohorts of whom all really do lack the intelligence and foresight to ever help anybody but your own egotistic sect. Do the world a favour and groom yourself before you wish to appear to be statesman, disillusion of grandeur only comes from the weak and wannabes.

Don't be scared of expressing your views in social media.....