EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Reform committee chair wants tough penalty for election fraud

KASAMAKORN CHANWANPEN
THE NATION 

 

Seree

 

BANGKOK: -- THE National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA)’s political reform committee - which has a reputation for being hard-bitten following several strong political reform proposals - will make its voice heard again in a meeting on Wednesday with law-making bodies including the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) to discuss two highly charged organic draft bills concerning political parties and politicians.

 

The current regime wants to root out corrupt politicians and inject decent new players, as pledged when it staged the coup two years ago. 

The politicians, on the other hand, want to reassert themselves and resist the change being forced on them by the present powers-that-be. So, this reform task has fallen into the committee's lap.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Reform-committee-chair-wants-tough-penalty-for-ele-30296179.html

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-09-26

Given the new charter, and all the 'safeguards", I wonder if elections could be classified as frauds?

Tough penalties???? What a 500 baht fine, and dont do it again !! 

If they had tough penalties and used them, there would be nobody left to elect.

Great stuff all this tough talk. Put all the punitive measures you want into laws etc. but it still comes down to enforcement and no matter what the issue is here there's always a way to excuse lack of action.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

inject decent new players

This would be the good people preferred by the military who would put State and nationalism above the needs of the electorate. Decent new players would be the ones who support the NCPO 20-year roadmap regardless of the priorities of the electorate. Doesn't that essentially corrupt the electoral system?

tougher laws to be used selectively to remove unwanted politicians to be replaced with these more friendly to those currently in power. 

Reminds me a bit of Oliver Cromwell, except the killing the King bit, he removed a corrupt parliament, installed a group of "righteous people" to run the country.  Didn't last long so I guess the 20 year plan is a bit shaky.

Reforms before elections.

 

No hurry though.

1 hour ago, NongKhaiKid said:

Great stuff all this tough talk. Put all the punitive measures you want into laws etc. but it still comes down to enforcement and no matter what the issue is here there's always a way to excuse lack of action.

Agreed.. there are plenty of laws on all things (same like the Ayuttaya boat) they are just not enforced.

2 hours ago, Emster23 said:

Given the new charter, and all the 'safeguards", I wonder if elections could be classified as frauds?

These laws will be applied selectively. There is a class power structure pecking order here. Your loyalty will determine what level you function at. They want the same power structure as China but without all the obvious baggage. 

52 minutes ago, elgordo38 said:

They want the same power structure as China

Not a frivilous notion:

(2014-08-29) Realising that he faces a formidable task ahead, Prayuth has reportedly decided to upgrade his advisory team into a body similar to the central politburo of China's Communist Party..... This begs the question: will this committee be as powerful as China's politburo?

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Prayuth-as-PM-bears-huge-burden-of-expectations-30242019.html

However, in China's power structure the military pledges allegiance to the CCP and cannot operate independently from CCP leadership.

Has Thailand enough prisons???