Two NRC panels oppose provision on Thai premier

[webfact]

Two NRC panels oppose provision on premier
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- TWO NATIONAL Reform Council (NRC) panels want the clause allowing a non-elected PM to be removed from the draft charter so ill-intentioned groups can be stopped from creating a political crisis to put their preferred person on the non-elected PM's seat, Direk Teungfung said yesterday. He is deputy chief of the NRC panel on political reform.

The NRC panel on political reform has sought amendments to the draft charter on six key points, but as it lacked support from other members, it actively sought help from the NRC panel on law and justice reform to help, he said.

The points pushed forward for change are allowing non-elected PM and introducing an open-list MP system.

"We are pushing for only an elected PM because we want to block any chance of people creating a political crisis to give chance to a non-elected PM candidate,'' he said.

Seree Suwanpanont, chairman of the NRC's panel on law and justice reform, said his panel and the panel on political reform had proposed that 200 provisions be dropped because they were far too technical and complicated, and could bring about conflicts.

He said the provision allowing a non-elected PM was deemed undemocratic and not many people wanted a non-elected prime minister. "This provision may also cause conflicts so we must remove this provision," he said.

Meanwhile, NRC member Boonlert Kachayutthadej proposed yesterday that a provisional clause granting protesters amnesty be included in the charter along with the removal of some independent organisations.

He announced in Parliament that he had submitted a personal petition for the amendment, which included a suggestion that the National Strategic and Reconciliation committees be dropped.

Boonlert said he had proposed that the Constitution Drafting Committee add a provisional clause to grant amnesty to those who took part in demonstrations leading to the 2006 and 2014 coups, excluding leaders and those charged under Article 112 or other serious offences.

His proposal had won the approval of politicians as well as protest leaders of all sides and was put forward in a bill to Parliament, but was rejected, leading to court cases and arrests of perpetrators.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Two-NRC-panels-oppose-provision-on-premier-30261019.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-27

[FangFerang]

"We are pushing for only an elected PM because we want to block any chance of people creating a political crisis to give chance to a non-elected PM candidate,'' he said."

The problem is...that ability to fabricate a crisis is the reason for the provision....