Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda on Friday  said this traditional way of collecting public views was the “best method” to gather genuine opinions from people across the country.

He said that other platforms, especially social media, could allow wrongdoers to claim ID numbers of others as to provide “fraudulent opinions”. If people show up at the complaint centres, officials would be able to collect their opinions in writing and their citizen identification numbers for the record, he said.

Despite speculation, he denied that the Interior Ministry’s role in the opinion gathering process is for the junta’s political purposes.

Every 10 days, Damrongtham Centres across the country are to submit summaries of received opinions on the four questions to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, according to Anupong. His ministry should be able to assign the task to provincial governors and start implementing the hearing within a week, he said.

Meanwhile, Prayut yesterday said that the four questions are only meant to stimulate public learning in society.

“They don’t lead to anything. There will certainly be an election because the law says so,” he said. “But how the election will be is up to you because you’ll choose the government. It has nothing to do with me.”

The PM’s questions are: Do you think the next election will give Thailand a government with good governance? If that is not the case, what will you do? Elections are an integral part of democracy but are elections without regard for the country’s future right or wrong? Do you think bad politicians should be given the chance to return to politics, and if conflict re-emerges, who will solve it and by what means?