Mixed signals over Somkid’s suggestions for selecting governor’s
By The Nation

 

Somkid

 

BANGKOK: -- DEPUTY Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak has suggested favouring provincial governors with “development vision” who are professional managers, but the Interior Ministry will still have the final say in selecting them, the prime minister said yesterday.

 

The prime minister said he had talked with Somkid about the issue and the latter had denied having told the media the government was going to overhaul the selection of provincial governors.

 

Somkid told him that governors of key provinces must have a vision for development and have served for a sufficient time to ensure results, General Prayut Chan-o-cha said.

 

“But all of this must be in line with the Interior Ministry’s selection process,” the prime minister said.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30304242

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-01-17

Sounds like a spit roast recipe .... or corruption school 101. Just not grooming better representative politics.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

governors of key provinces must have a vision for development and have served for a sufficient time to ensure results

Just not be elected.

Prayut has appointed several governors during his tenure as each currently elected governor's term expires. The Interior Ministry does not have final say should Prayut want someone of different qualifications, ie., military officer.

He (or she) who has the largest envelope wins.

3 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Just not be elected.

Prayut has appointed several governors during his tenure as each currently elected governor's term expires. The Interior Ministry does not have final say should Prayut want someone of different qualifications, ie., military officer.

 

PTP rejected calls for the election of provincial governors too. They wanted to be able to appoint their mates. Ergo, whoever Thaksin approved.

 

So no change in procedure.

Edited January 17, 20179 yr by Baerboxer

IMHO Somkid is the only one in the current government with a long term vision, how to set up Thailand for the increasing competition from the countries around, based on his academic career and business acumen.

 

What he is proposing, is standard procedure in Singapore and their GDP and general wealth prove, it's the best way to go.

 

Unfortunately, some of the conditions, which make it work in Singapore, are not in place here, eg.:

- a powerful anti-corruption office

- a competitive salary for government officials to tempt them changing from a business job to a government job

- selection based on degrees and business acumen

- a parliamentary control of their performance with regard to time schedules and budgets

 

LoS has a long way to go ...

See it realistically - a business man to become a governor, has first to compete with certain "soft" selection criteria. 

And even, if he succeeds - just to keep his standard of living, he has NO other chance than to increase his low salary by "other means". 

That doesn't even take into account that after the next "change", he might find himself on the "wrong side" with serious consequences.

 

Additional remark: some European governments might also improve drastically, if they would replace their "professional" politicians -far away from reality and racing from election to election- with this concept. 555