Group Comes Up With Plan For Interim Govt Leader

[Flashermac]

A group of academics and peace advocates yesterday urged rival political camps to forget about appointing a "neutral" prime minister through Article 7 of the Constitution and jointly select an interim non-partisan deputy PM to act as head of government temporarily so that the country can move forward with reform and a general election.

 

The group includes Surichai Wungaeo and Chantana Banpasirichote, Chulalongkorn University political scientists; Chaiwat Satha-Anand, founder and director of the Peace Information Centre at Thammasat University; and General Ekkachai Srivilas, director of the Office of Peace and Governance at King Prajadhipok's Institute.

 

For sustainable democracy and a victory for all Thais, both sides should establish a common ground and step over conflicts that could plunge the country into civil strife, the group said.

 

Both movements should agree upon three objectives - seek a way out of the stalemate that stays within the scope of the charter, find a "non-partisan" person who can manage the country at this critical juncture, and draft a pact to ensure that all sides will join forces to "reform" the country.

 

Then both camps should agree not to take recourse to Article 7 to get a non-partisan prime minister, because critics harbour doubts that this would be legitimate.

 

Under the group's proposal, both the pro- and anti-government camps would agree on putting in place a "non-partisan" PM who does not have the full authority normally held by a sitting prime minister. Both then should agree on coming up with clear reform proposals that will be legally binding on the next government. The reform proposals must be drafted before the general election is held.

 

Both political camps must decide how they would select such a non-partisan leader. Once they come up with a candidate, the present acting prime minister would nominate him as a deputy PM for royal endorsement.

 

The caretaker Cabinet then must resolve to have that deputy PM serve as acting PM, replacing the current one.

 

The Pheu Thai Party, Democrat Party, United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship and People's Democratic Reform Committee would nominate three candidates each, who have demonstrated that they are "neutral" in behaviour and actions, possess a clean track record and are widely accepted as having the ability to manage a crisis.

 

The non-partisan acting PM would then appoint a non-partisan minister to coordinate reform efforts. Not more than 35 ministers would be appointed by the opposition or neutral bodies to resolve the political crisis.

 

Reform proposals would be submitted to the Election Commission, which would hold an election and a referendum on the same day to save costs and time. The referendum results would be legally binding on the next government.

 

Both camps should sign an agreement that whoever wins the next election will be in power for one year and the House of Representatives will be dissolved and a snap election called again.

 

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Group-comes-up-with-plan-for-interim-govt-leader-30233571.html

[Specialist]

It seems to me to be immediately and intuitively obvious that Suthep Thaugsuban cannot be considered to be "neutral" or "non-partisan".

 

Nor could Luang Pu Buddha Issara.

 

Nor any PDRC core member.

 

Nor, of course, could any Pheu Thai member be considered such.

 

If I had to nominate someone, I would nominate Gen Prayuth. I don't think Mr Suthep or Mr Thaksin or any of their respective followers would go along with that nomination.

[Flashermac]

Prayuth is trying to come out of this with a whole skin. The opposing sides are insisting on their way or the highway. Prayuth is definitely the most obvious choice for the job, since I doubt that Anand would be willing to take the job once again. Rots o' ruck though.

[Guest]

"camps would agree on putting in place a "non-partisan" PM "

 

Why not say a .... civil servant

[Sporty]

Hard to find the individual as described, and have influence at the same time.

 

Since they seem to have come up with something reasonable, how about a proxy PM approach by committee, not one person but a group with stature. Consult each other for a consensus in private and release decisions via a press spokesman.

 

From above:

 

"The group includes Surichai Wungaeo and Chantana Banpasirichote, Chulalongkorn University political scientists; Chaiwat Satha-Anand, founder and director of the Peace Information Centre at Thammasat University; and General Ekkachai Srivilas, director of the Office of Peace and Governance at King Prajadhipok's Institute."

[WorldFun]

not a half bad proposal so of course it will be flatly rejected by those in power!

[robaus]

How about doing something really radical ...the same as happens in every other democracy in the world.... follow the constitution and appoint someone from the party that actually won the last election and would have won the 2014 one too had not armed yellow shirt thugs disrupted it. Everyone seems to be ignoring the elephant in the room..the 48% of Thai people who voted for Pheu Thai as opposed to a minority of 35% who voted Democrat.

 

It’s like the Republican party in the USA saying we don’t like President Obama because of his healthcare policies, so let’s get a group of judges and senators to sack him because he fired Gen. McChrystal, after his outspoken comments on Afghanistan. Now let’s fish around for some other dude to be president, while completely ignoring the constitution and Joe Biden or holding another election to find out what the people really want. Of course none of this scenario would even get to first base in the USA. But TIT.

 

The yellow shirts could actually tell us what their mysterious pie in the sky reforms are and make them an election issue.

 

The acting caretaker Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisarn is already the de jure Prime Minister. An election date has been set. What’s the problem?

 

... oh I see it’s Sulking Suthep having a tantrum so we all have to run around like headless chooks trying to please him, while the Thai economy goes down the shit shoot.

 

[cavanami]

> The yellow shirts could actually tell us what their mysterious pie in the sky reforms are and make them an election issue.

 

Easy, they want to get their share (or all) of the corruption money!!!