BANGKOK, Jan 5 — The People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) on Sunday proposed that any prime minister after the national reform is completed must be an elected member of parliament, saying it opposes a proposal by some members of the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) favouring a non-partisan candidate to become prime minister in case of a political deadlock after a future general election.
PDRC spokesman Akanat Promphan said his group come to its decision before the May 22 coup and sent its proposal on the distribution of political power, how to tackle Thailand’s corruption, reforming the Royal Thai Police and to solve social disparity.
But the PDRC had never demanded or proposed that a prime minister must be a neutral person or not a member of the Lower House, he said.
During the previous government of Yingluck Shinawatra the committee requested that an outsider be invited to administer the country during the political turmoil, he said.
Therefore, the CDC should not tell the public that the idea of having a non-MP become prime minister is made by the PDRC grouping earlier, he said, adding that the country could face more danger if an outsider is allowed to become a prime minister.
“It would only give an opportunity to capitalists to administer the country through paying money to elected MPs and senators. This could cause more problems with corruption,” Mr Akanat said.
The PDRC is prepared to send its opinions to the Constitution Drafting Commoittee for consideration as he believed political problems in Thailand were “not caused by the system but rather from an individual.”
Therefore, a solution must be made regarding the individual while the political party system must be helped to become stronger so the public could depend on it, Mr Akanat added.
