Civic groups unveil alternative national reform process

0
888

BANGKOK, Sept 16 – Several civic groups have proposed a formula for national reform calling on the public sector to work together to push for a new political power structure.

Suriyasai Katasila, coordinator of the Green Politics Group, and Somkiat Pongpaiboon, a former leader of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), yesterday unveiled what they call a plan to convene a “People’s Reform Assembly of Thailand” to map out proposals for national reform.

They said the principal national reform, as they propose, is to find an appropriate resolution to the country under a democratic system emphasising returning power to the people, doing away with political monopoly and capitalism.

In a forum to collect opinion from the public sector yesterday, they said participants agreed that national reform must cover the country’s entire system, whether politics, administration, civil service, state enterprises and the judiciary.

Bancherd Singkaneti, a leading member of the People’s Reform Assembly of Thailand, publicly announced a joint declaration which insisted that the public sector must be the driving force in pushing for a new power structure in light of the current crisis and political dominance by what they describe as capitalist political parties.

People’s rights must be emphasised asa significant element leading to a genuine democratic system for the people, he said.