THE NEW ELECTION Act should prohibit election candidates and MPs from making monetary gifts to social functions such as weddings, funerals and ordinations, the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) has suggested.

The ban was included in the 11-point proposal the assembly’s political reform committee, chaired by Seri Suwanpanont, submitted to the Constitution Drafting Commission because it would help candidates and political parties save on their campaigning costs, a source said yesterday.

The proposal had been floated by certain NRSA members but met strong disapproval from politicians, who deemed it impractical.

Local custom called for guests at social occasions to make a financial contribution as a “merit-making” gesture, they said.

The NRSA panel also suggested that state officials should be subject to disciplinary measures for failing to vote in elections, besides the usual sanctions of stripping some voting rights for ordinary citizens, the source said.

Another suggestion made to the CDC was stretching voting days to 8am-6pm from the present 8am-3pm.

The CDC will prepare four major organic laws to implement the new constitution – the MP Election Act, Senator Acquisition Act, Political Parties Act and Election Commission (EC) Act.

The EC is finalising its drafts of the four laws to be proposed to the CDC, said Tanith Sriprateth, deputy EC secretary-general. The EC would attempt to complete the draft bills as soon as possible although he did not know exactly when that would be.

Seri and Nipit Intrasombat, deputy Democrat Party leader, voiced their opposition to a proposal by pro-junta former senator Paiboon Nititawan for a ban on election campaigning, saying it would be unfair to new-face politicians.

Paiboon, a former charter drafter, on Wednesday suggested an election reform plan including a ban on campaigning in a bid to reduce the need for big budgets for political parties and the domination of donors over candidates.

Seri said Paiboon’s proposal was unlikely to happen because campaigning for votes was standard practice for politicians.

However, to cut down the parties’ election expenses, it was possible to set a cap on the election budget of each party during campaigning.

Paiboon, who plans to set up a political party called People’s Reform, suggested that the EC be responsible for disseminating candidates’ profiles and party policies to all voters across the country.

The profiles and policies should be displayed in public places for voters to get to know the candidates better. This could dramatically reduce campaign spending, as seen in Japan.

Seri said this would work for veteran politicians who were already well known among the electorate, but not for first-time candidates, who had to meet and greet with people and make public speeches to get voters familiar with them and gain their support.

Regarding vote canvassers, it was normal for politicians to use them, but they should be banned if they buy votes, he said.

The Democrats’ Nipit said the proposed ban on election campaigning would handicap political newcomers. In adopting foreign election practices, it was important to consider the Thai political context, he said.

Combating election fraud

Paiboon’s additional suggestion about the next election’s arrangement to follow the August 7 referendum’s practice was unworkable, he said, as elections were different than referendums.

Politicians play key roles in elections while in a referendum, the state is the only player and political activities were “one-way” communications.

“As politicians are players in elections, if there are no election campaigns and debates, it would be hard for the people to examine [the politicians].”

NRSA member Wanchai Sornsiri, who chairs the committee tasked with making suggestions for the new MP Election Bill, said the coming organic law would include a strict mechanism to combat election fraud.

Party leaders and executives also had to take action to prevent possible fraud. Party leaders would face a lifelong suspension of their rights to political participation if they were negligent and their party members were found guilty.

Convicted politicians would be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison without the possibility of suspension, and would have their election rights permanently suspended, according to Wanchai.

Election fraud cases would have a 20-year statute of limitations.

The law would prohibit MPs from sponsoring people’s social activities. It would also allow people to file petitions against politicians based on electoral fraud.

He said the plan would serve as the foundation and pillars in rebuilding the country for the future. General Prayut said he expected that the new government to be formed after the next election would follow the strategic plan laid out by his administration, although it was unlikely to be implemented in its entirety.

“We are doing the strategic plan for reform over the next 20 years. This is preparation for the country to become an international democracy,” he said.

“Many people want the country to become an international democracy and to look good in the eyes of the world community. But are we ready yet? We were ready in the past but the whole thing almost collapsed. “Today we need to rebuild our home and our country for the future … there are no houses built without pillars. We need to have the foundation too.”

Prayut, who heads the National Council for Peace and Order, was giving an address on the national and military strategies for the 20-year period from 2017 at the National Defence College.

His audience included students from the National Defence College, Joint Staff College, Royal Thai Army War College, Naval War College, and Air War College.

The PM said that the plan was initiated by not just military figures but also civilians. “We have to build trust among civilians, police and the military. We are all Thais and we need to work together,” he said.

He said that the country’s problems have accumulated over a long time and his government was focusing on tackling political problems, particularly involving conflict. “We all know well what the problem is, and its cause, but we can’t work together due to a lack of unity,” he said.

 

The amendment was proposed by the Cabinet and the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) more than a week ago after they reasoned that the additional NLA members would help expedite the legal enactment of over 100 bills.

There has been speculation that the 30 spots are for military officers set to retire this month, but senior Cabinet and NCPO members rejected that.

The amendment changed Section 6 of the charter, which previously stated that there would be no more than 250 NLA members.

China said yesterday that Singapore’s health ministry had informed its embassy in the city-state that 21 Chinese nationals in the country were confirmed to have been infected by the virus.

The Indian foreign ministry also confirmed that 13 of its nationals in Singapore had tested positive for Zika after an outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease first affected three dozen workers at a construction site.

Six Bangladeshi nationals have also tested positive for Zika in Singapore, the High Commission of Bangladesh said.

“We were informed yesterday by MOH [Ministry of Health] that of those tested positive, as of noon on August 30, six are Bangladeshi nationals,” Mahbub Uz Zaman, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Singapore told Reuters.

Singapore Ministry of Health and the National Environment Agency said in a joint statement late on Wednesday that they had identified 24 new infections plus nine more detected as a result of testing previous cases, bringing the total to 115.

A pregnant woman was among those who tested positive for the virus.

“Her doctor is following up closely to monitor her health and the development of her baby,” the statement said. “She will be referred to a maternal-foetal medicine specialist for counselling and advice.”

Thai Public Health Minister Dr Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn said yesterday that there had been 13 Zika cases over the past week in Chiang Mai, Chanthaburi, Phetchabun and Bung Kan provinces. Though not all patients are in serious condition, officials will still be monitoring the areas for 28 days to see if any new cases arise.

Insisting that Thailand does not have a Zika outbreak and that the affected areas were well controlled, Piyasakol called on people to help eradicate the breeding grounds of Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and larvae at home, workplace or public venues. He said these measures would be effective in preventing Zika and dengue fever.

Malaysia recorded its first Zika case, a 58-year-old woman in Bandar Botanic in Klang. She is suspected to have been infected on Wednesday, after recently visiting her daughter in Singapore, The Star reported.

The mosquito-borne virus, which has been detected in 67 countries and territories including hardest-hit Brazil, causes only mild symptoms for most people, such as fever and a rash.

But in pregnant women it can cause microcephaly, a deformation in which babies are born with abnormally small brains and heads.

Brazil, where the disease has become an epidemic, has reported 1,835 cases of microcephaly, the World Health Organisation said.

Singapore on Wednesday urged pregnant women showing symptoms of fever or rashes to get tested. The city-state spends about S$1 million (Bt25.4 million) per day on exterminating mosquitoes to deal with the outbreak.

Fogging has been implemented in areas in Singapore and Malaysia, and border checks between Malaysia and Singapore, and Singapore and Indonesia, have been tightened. Jakarta has warned its citizens against non-essential travel to Singapore due to Zika.

The United States and Britain have joined Australia and Taiwan in advising pregnant women to avoid non-essential travel to the city-state, while a local health expert warned the infection rate would rise.

China’s quarantine authorities said yesterday that they have been increasing health screenings of travellers arriving from Singapore. It is also stepping up inspection of shipments arriving from Singapore, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said in an online statement.

The institute’s deputy secretary general, Wuttisarn Tanchai, denied reports that the institute had asked the SRT to exempt it from the rental fee for the 75 members of the institute’s Class 15 of the Public Administration and Public Law course.

“It is true that we sent a letter to the SRT, seeking its support concerning the trip of Class 15 students. However we did not ask to use it free of charge,” he said.

The SRT is considering charging the institute based on the same rules applied to government agencies, he said. It is common for government agencies to ask for a reduction in fees.

“I wish to insist that the institute will pay a fee for renting SRT’s carriages as well as for the students’ meals during the train trip,” he clarified.

Chatupat, also known as Pai Dao Din, and other students took to the stage on July 31 to talk about the charter. The Khon Kaen police had summoned them to face the charges on August 18.

Chatupat, however, also faced other charges for violating the referendum law and was detained in Phu Kieo district’s prison.

His attorney, Arnon Nampa, postponed the police meeting to yesterday. Arnon said Chatupat was sick from going on a hunger strike in Chaiyaphum.

After they were booked, the six read out a statement condemning the state for restricting their right to express their views.

They called on society to protest against the ban on public gatherings and the trial of civilians in military courts.

Yaowalak Anupan, their lawyer, said the six suspects denied the charges, saying they were at liberty to speak about the constitution, which is an important matter to everyone.

She said the police also told her that more people would be hit with the same charges today.

Prayut wants to fill two vacant deputy minister positions in his government, but Teerachai is no longer a |candidate.

The prime minister also denied reports that Olan Pithak, director-general of the Agricultural Extension Department, would become deputy minister of the Agricultural and Cooper-atives Ministry. He said Olan was about to retire and he should stay at home to look after his grandchildren so he was not under consideration as a deputy minister.

Prayut said the new cabinet members “could come from anywhere” and he had not yet reached a decision.

NATIONAL Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) spokesman Colonel Piyapong Klinpan yesterday rejected reports that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha wanted to set up a military-dominated political party, saying the idea was initiated by other people based on the public’s desire for Prayutto continue running the country.

Prayut wanted to work to resolve the country’s problems, Piyapong said, adding that the prime minister had not told him that he wanted to enter politics or made a statement about accepting a role as an unelected premier in the next government.

Asked if he believed that Prayut would follow in the footsteps of former prime minister and Privy Council president General Prem Tinsulanonda, who was backed by political parties, Piyapong said that was also other peoples’ idea, not Prayut‘s.

Sompong Sakawee, a member of the National Reform Steering Assembly’s political reform committee, who was quoted earlier as saying military officers had asked him about setting up a new party, said the idea of a military-nominee party might be premature.

He said military officers should ensure that any such proposed party belonged to the people and not |capitalists, adding that the party should include bureaucrats and military officials who had experience running the country.

“The party leader may not necessarily include Prayut or [Deputy Prime Minister] Prawit [Wongsuwan] since we are not attached to certain individuals. If the format of the new party is like this, I believe this party would amass 4 to 5 million members,” he said.

Sompong said he disagreed with the proposal for Prayut to return as prime minister with the backing of political parties as Prem did because politics had changed.

“Everyone wants political reform and democracy. We must push for political party reform so that we have parties that truly belong to the people and we should not be attached to the ‘Prem model’,” he said.

Politics ‘must be reformed’

Meanwhile, Prayut said yesterday that politics must be reformed before an election, which was occurring in the ongoing drafting of organic laws.

Speaking at his weekly press briefing, Prayut said lawmakers must discuss how to reform political parties, but principally the process must conform with international democratic standards. The most important point, he said, was the screening process for “good politicians”.

He said he had no idea how dependent political parties were on their financial supporters, but added that he gained business interests’ cooperation while not relying on their money, which suggested the government and private sector could cooperate when a “strong system” was in place.

Prayut said he was considering enacting a law concerning political donations to negate the influence of businessmen on politics. Lawmakers were also helping to analyse relevant aspects including personnel screening processes and political penalties.

However, the prime minister said such a law still might not attract new young politicians, who would still fear that conventional politics was too demanding in terms of accountability and the loss of privacy.

Meanwhile, NCPO spokesman Piyapong also dismissed criticism that the military wanted to extend its influence by appointing an additional 30 National Legislative Assembly (NLA) members.

“It entirely depends on the outlook of each person. But people should think of the responsibility of the NLA,” he said.

He said Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam had said legal experts were needed to scrutinise more than 100 bills that would be passed before a general election because the NLA had just over a year left in its term.

Piyapong said Prayut had a team to help him to screen NLA candidates but he did not know if the prime minister would predominantly select military officials as appointees.