A third of party lists to be women

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A third of party lists to be women
NITIPOL KIRAVANICH
THE NATION


Members of a women's rights group submit a letter yesterday to Constitution Drafting Committee chairman Borwornsak Uwanno.

Aim is Gender equality, but move seen as impractical for local administrations

BANGKOK: -- THE Constitution Drafting Committee yesterday narrowly voted to add a clause to the draft charter requiring one-third of the party-list system to be made up of women.

The proposal had been pending at the CDC for quite some time. It had caused one drafter, Ticha Na Nakorn, to resign as a member of the CDC and the National Reform Council. She argued that the new constitution needed such a provision to fight gender inequality.

However, the CDC voted to reject a similar clause for local administrative officials, said Paiboon Nititawan, a member of the committee.

A CDC source said many drafters had voiced concerns that this proposal would be impractical for local administrative officials.

Before the meeting, Thanawadee Thajean, director of the Women's Foundation, an organisation that campaigns for women's rights, and others had gathered to forward a report to CDC president Borwonsak Uwanno urging him and the other drafters to scrutinise the gender proposal.

They said the clause would promote true equality and abide by the principles of human rights.

"I insisted on strengthening women's roles in politics along with the budget system that concerns the gender aspect," Borwonsak said.

The CDC also reviewed the clause on the dissolution of the House of Representatives. The drafters decided to follow the Constitution of 2007, meaning that if the prime minister loses a no-confidence vote, the House would not be automatically dissolved.

Under the earlier Constitution scrapped after the junta seized power last year, if the opposition won a no-confidence debate, the person nominated in the no-confidence motion to replace the prime minister would take over the premiership and form a new government.

The CDC earlier resolved that if the opposition party won a no-confidence vote, the House would be automatically dissolved. They reasoned that this article would prevent the executive branch from being placed in a weakened position by squabbling coalition partners.

However, this article raised many concerns among observers, many of whom believed it would reduce the opposition party's requests for a vote on the prime minister. They feared that if the vote of no confidence passed, the House would be dissolved and all the MPs would have to run for election all over again.

More than 20 articles are still pending review in the CDC. The committee this week held a closed-door meeting to scrutinise the pending articles, reasoning that holding an internal meeting would allow its members to debate freely.

Spokesman Kamnoon Sidhi-samarn said the CDC was not ready to summarise the pending articles for the public. The meeting in several days would give a better explanation.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/A-third-of-party-lists-to-be-women-30257188.html


-- The Nation 2015-04-01

[NongKhaiKid]

The country would be better served if they voted to bin the party list system and the back door route it provides.

[WhizBang]

Agree, the party list system should be abolished 100%. If someone wants a position in parlament, well just run for election. You win the election you get a seat at the table. You lose, you're outta luck. Try again in years.

As for quotas, I have to disagree with trying to impose any sort of quota. These artificial quotas never work.

[tx22cb]

A third on the party list? A mere symbolic victory.

Nothing to prevent a political party putting random women as #70-100 in their party list. The bottom 75% of the list rarely get to be a MP.

[seajae]

to pick people based purely on their gender is simply wrong, this is not selecting the best people for the work but just going for numbers. They also need to ensure that anyone selected has the education(not bought ones) requirements and also has the ability to show it, I know many with degrees that arent worth the paper they are written on and the ones with them are that stupid it isnt funny. This applies to all candidates, male and female.

[smutcakes]

Welcome to Mrs. Thaksin Shinawtra, Mrs. Suthep Thaugsaban, Mrs. Abhisit, Mrs General XYZ, Mrs Pol Lt XYZ etc etc

[h90]

Agree, the party list system should be abolished 100%. If someone wants a position in parlament, well just run for election. You win the election you get a seat at the table. You lose, you're outta luck. Try again in years.

As for quotas, I have to disagree with trying to impose any sort of quota. These artificial quotas never work.

Many countries do will with party list systems. There is a lot less risk of vote buying.

[h90]

A third on the party list? A mere symbolic victory.

Nothing to prevent a political party putting random women as #70-100 in their party list. The bottom 75% of the list rarely get to be a MP.

Normally they would have 1 man, 1 woman, 1 man, 1 woman etc in the list.

Not the first only man and the last only woman..

[h90]

Welcome to Mrs. Thaksin Shinawtra, Mrs. Suthep Thaugsaban, Mrs. Abhisit, Mrs General XYZ, Mrs Pol Lt XYZ etc etc

You mean gender change operations?

[Daniel Ingalls]

............DON'T STOP THERE. HOW ABOUT THE EQUIL RIGHT FOR THE GAYS, THE HE/SHE GROUPS, AND THE NOT SO SURE!