Senate can take care of national crises, NRSA says
PRAPASRI OSATHANON
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE Senate should be assigned to take care of a national crisis and there is no need to establish any special mechanisms, chairman of the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA)'s political reform committee said yesterday.

The proposed mechanisms include the controversial National Strategic Reform and Reconciliation Committee (NSRRC) in the recently rejected charter draft, which was tasked with overriding the Cabinet during a national crisis, Seri Suwanpanon noted.

Meanwhile, the committee wrapped up its proposals for the NRSA's consideration and endorsement. It comprised six key recommendations: procedures to obtain good politicians, procedures to have a good political system through political party reform, fair elections with measures to prevent political investment, effective legislation and agencies to scrutinise the use of state authority, creation of a good political culture, and measures to prevent conflicts.

Committee spokesperson Wanchai Sornsiri said to obtain good politicians, more intense examination of qualifications and prohibition of candidates must be put in place and enforced. The candidates must also be required to reveal tax records for three years for public scrutiny.

Prospective candidates must report their intention to be candidates to the Election Commission no less than one year prior to the election date, the spokesperson continued. The committee also emphasised having an electoral system based on a total election of House of Representatives, with a party-list MPs' election not needed. Senators should only be able to scrutinise laws and uses of state authorities, he added.

The NRSA set yesterday as deadline for its 12 committees to submit their action plans, which are scheduled to be reviewed and endorsed by the NRSA's meeting on December 21-22.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Senate-can-take-care-of-national-crises-NRSA-says-30274632.html


-- The Nation 2015-12-10

procedures to obtain good politicians - Let the media do their job. They will usually ferret out the bad politicians, that is if it wasn't for defamation laws.

procedures to have a good political system through political party reform - transparency and strict laws as to how politicians get their campaign money. Allow lawfully elected parties to fulfill their terms and then let the people decide if they should be reelected. It's called Democracy.

fair elections with measures to prevent political investment - I think you mean stop vote buying, stop bribery of elected politicians and corruption. Yeah, that's a hard one, even in developed countries.

effective legislation and agencies to scrutinise the use of state authority - I think you mean no coups. Develop laws rules and procedures involving the courts and law enforcement that will take the place of coups.

creation of a good political culture - Follow solid and proven Democratic principles and allow the people to decide which politicians should stay in office and which ones to kick out.

measures to prevent conflicts - Effective laws, courts and law enforcement...once again. Do not allow any major demonstrations to take place without strict rules and controls so it doesn't devolve into guns and rioting.

Why am I not getting that warm fuzzy feeling??

Seri should just be honest and rename the Senate to NCPO - "take care of a national crisis and there is no need to establish any special mechanisms"

NCPO already performs such a role.