CDC to make NACC 'more powerful'

[webfact]

CDC to make NACC 'more powerful'
KRIS BHROMSUTHI
THE NATION


The Constitution Drafting Committee meets at Parliament yesterday to work on the new charter.

MEMBERS OF ANTI-GRAFT AGENCY TO GET NINE-YEAR TERM FOR COMPLETING PROBES

BANGKOK: -- THE CONSTITUTION Drafting Committee (CDC) yesterday unanimously agreed on a significant issue - that the country's anti-graft agency needs to be reformed.

The drafters finished their work on the charter's Section 2, which involves provisions on the regulation of independent organisations.

CDC spokesman Kamnoon Sidhisamarn said that under the new charter, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) might become "more powerful" than the Office of the Attorney-General, because it would be one of the two organisations allowed to submit cases to court. Also, the courts would be obligated to use the evidence submitted by the NACC as the main source of their deliberation for such cases.

The NACC played a significant role in the impeachment of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra last week, and had been outspoken in its contempt of her government's rice-pledging scheme from the very start. It even provided documents to her government, calling it to drop the scheme because of how much it was allegedly costing the state.

Many have applauded NACC for its relentless effort and role in Yingluck's impeachment, while sympathisers of the democratically elected Pheu Thai government it helped overthrow have slammed it for being politically biased.

Under the new charter, the NACC will also be the only agency that can retain its members for a term of nine years. Kamnoon said the CDC had decided that a longer term was required because the NACC conducted detailed investigations before submitting its cases to court, which was a time-consuming job.

The CDC also inserted a clause giving the general public the power to get an NACC member suspected of inappropriate conduct prosecuted. All it would require is 20,000 signatures on a petition, which can be handed to the Senate Speaker. It would require a three-fourths vote in the Senate for the NACC member in question to be impeached.

Kamnoon also pointed out some notable differences in the characteristics of independent organisations under the new constitution compared with the previous charter, including requiring all chiefs of such bodies to declare their assets publicly and a change in the framework of selection panels.

He said this new panel framework would be applied to different agencies, including the Election Commission, the NACC, the Office of the Auditor-General and the State Audit Commission.

Under the new system, the president of court judges would be removed, and the 12-member panels would be made up of people from different groups, such as representatives of the People's Assembly, the ruling party, the opposition and the cabinet.

Other changes are that nominees would now require support from at least two-thirds of the selection committee and members of independent organisations are not allowed to have held any similar positions previously. Finally, all independent organisations will be regulated and their performance examined on a yearly basis by the soon-to-be-established National Evaluation Committee. The CDC will also create a sub-panel to research their moves to merge the Office of the Human Rights Commission and the Office of the Ombudsman.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/CDC-to-make-NACC-more-powerful-30252896.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-29

[PepperMe]

Personally..... The NACC needs to be at least 30 times bigger than the OAG.

This IS Thailand.

[jayjayjayjay]

The new Thai government could be summerised in a book title.

"How to have elites control your supposed democratic society!"

[longway]

^ make no different to any orher supposedly democratic society including the usa, which was proved to be an oligarchy as all the policies promulgated from the 1980s to the early 2000s were found to match the opinions of the richest 1%, and against the opinions of the majority.

[Snig27]

The NACC is one of the most politicised bodies in the country - what Thailand actually needs is an anti-corruption body that is independent and does not merely exist to serve the political agendas of a tiny minority. This current body has done more damage to Thailand's future than anyone they've prosecuted of recent.

[FangFerang]

"MEMBERS OF ANTI-GRAFT AGENCY TO GET NINE-YEAR TERM FOR COMPLETING PROBES" = Power Has Been Consolidated and Will Remain Consolidated long after the Coup Restarts Elections

[Fat Haggis]

is that these hi tec BOSE communications systems showing in the picture, you know, the ones that the PM said had been removed and returned to the seller?

If it is, how much irony is there, the Anti Graft mob sitting in front of a procurement that is suspect in its prices!! 555

Edited January 29, 2015 by Fat Haggis

[Gunna]

Personally..... The NACC needs to be at least 30 times bigger than the OAG.

This IS Thailand.

Agreed. OAG couldn't even get YS to explain why she had illegally issued a passport to a convicted criminal and sent her foreign minister to deliver it.

I hope a few PTP get charged for that illegal act as well

[Baerboxer]

Personally..... The NACC needs to be at least 30 times bigger than the OAG.

This IS Thailand.

Agreed. OAG couldn't even get YS to explain why she had illegally issued a passport to a convicted criminal and sent her foreign minister to deliver it.

I hope a few PTP get charged for that illegal act as well

That was the Ombudsman, poor bloke, not the OAG. At least the Ombudsman tried several times to get an answer, and could do with more power too. The OAG have been somewhat fence sitters on occasion and certainly supported PTP when they though wise to do so. They need a major reform.

NACC - Yingluck, or rather Thaksin's government tried to weaken them by slashing their budgets. They wanted decision on corruption to be controlled by the politicians - what a joke that would be. The NACC should be given far more power but must then use that power without bias against the corrupt regardless of which political faction they support, who their family is, what businesses they own or how wealthy they are. Only be bringing the rich elite to book, and that includes the Shin clan and their mates. will they ever hope to influence and change the behavior of the masses.

The OAG and judicial system must ensure robust prosecutions and trials, with full defense allowed, and just punishments for any convicted in accordance with the law. Not the ridiculous watered down punishments handed out to the rich and their rich kids over the last few years.

But, then again, TiT.

[rickirs]

"merge the Office of the Human Rights Commission and the Office of the Ombudsman."

Very effective in lowering the authority of the HRC Prinya Sirisarakan by placing him subordinate to Ombudsman General Wittawat Ratchatananoven.

NACC more powerful?

There was also an earlier proposal to give NACC its own police force and authority to issue search warrants and make arrests.without court approval. It could basically become institutionalized terror organization wit only yhe military as a check and balance.