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New political law allows existing parties

KASAMAKORN CHANWANPEN,
NATTHAPHAT PHROMKAEW,
OLARN LERTRATTANADAMRONGKUL
THE NATION 

 

Somchai

 

Drafters open to suggestions regarding four organic laws needed before poll

 

BANGKOK: -- THE Election Commission submitted a new law on political parties to the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) yesterday which would preserve existing parties - despite calls recently for all parties to be disbanded, so Thai politics can be reset.

The bill stipulates that it should be difficult for parties to be set up, maintained or dissolved, as that would help to institutionalise and strengthen them, EC member Somchai Srisuthiyakorn said yesterday after a five-hour meeting at the EC's central office. 

Under the proposed bill, there would need to be at least 5,000 members registered nationwide for a new party to be set up. However, the rule would not apply to existing parties, which would be allowed to continue operating despite suggestions to the contrary, Somchai said.

Parties' main sources of funding should come from annual membership fees and donations, according to the bill, which stipulates that each party member should pay a fee of at least Bt200 annually while supporters could donate up to Bt500 a year.

The bill also introduces a primary system in which candidates would be nominated by party branches for the board to select before standing in an election, he said.

A party would lose its political status and be dissolved only if it does not field candidates, Somchai said.

Authorities such as the Constitutional Court could not order the dissolution of parties, but they could remove party board members or the party leader from office if they were found guilty of breaching the constitution or relevant organic laws, he added.

Party officials should also not allow outside influences and should present their policy plans to the EC before campaigning, he said, adding that if they failed to do so, they could be removed from office.

"Reset" rejected

The bill would be finalised by the CDC, Somchai said. All four bills necessary to hold an election would be completed and forwarded to the Cabinet this month, he added.

CDC spokesman Norachit Sinhaseni said drafters were open to any suggestions in regard to organic laws, so politicians, state officials, civil society and the general public were welcome to submit recommendations.

According to the constitutional draft passed in last month's referendum, the CDC must write 10 organic laws, four of which relate to political structures and elections.

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has said he wants the poll-related laws to be completed within two months, or as soon as possible. 

Disathat Hotrakit, secretary-general of the Council of State, said yesterday the council had already sent experts to help the CDC write the organic laws. The government had not submitted any suggestions in regard to that, he added.

Surachai Liengboonlertchai, a vice president of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), said the assembly had also started work. 

Relevant panels have been assigned to study issues concerning the organic laws currently being drafted, as well as previous ones written after the 2007 Constitution, he said. 

The NLA would be ready to finish deliberating under the specified timetable of 60 days after the CDC submits the bills to the assembly, he said.

With responsible agencies drafting the four organic laws needed to hold an election, there have been frequent demands that politics should be "reset" by dissolving all existing parties.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said yesterday that anyone could suggest anything and the CDC and the government would listen to all comments. 

"If it was a good idea, then great. If it wasn't, then we just ignore it. Otherwise, society would be full of conflict," Wissanu said yesterday, on whether existing parties should be dissolved.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/New-political-law-allows-existing-parties-30294680.html

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-09-07

[elgordo38]

Sounds like a contract I once signed when buying a used car.