BANGKOK, 13 July 2015 – The National Reform Council (NRC) has approved a report by its committee on political reform which proposes a reformation of the process by which political parties come to power.
The Chairman of the NRC’s political reform committee says political parties must hold to heart the interests of the people, and not just the financial contributors. He said party members as well as the public should have greater entitlement in nominating candidates, which would also encourage public participation in politics. He proposed that the country adopt a system of primary elections as a way of screening politicians and encouraging public participation in the process of selecting candidates.
He went on to propose that encouraging public participation in politics should be included in the country’s national reform agenda as it is one of the principles of citizen empowerment.
NRC members expressed their support for the committee and proposed that local administration play a larger role in scrutinizing the government which would in turn encourage the participation of communities. They also regarded the proposal for primary elections as progressive, and one that would serve as a way of connecting the public with the political process.
The NRC then approved the report with 200 votes in favor and 2 votes against. The committee will incorporate the feedback from the main NRC assembly before submitting it to the Constitution Drafting Committee and the Cabinet for further consideration.
