The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) is facing mounting pressure amid claims that many provincial screening panels responsible for selecting National Reform Council (NRC) candidates are blighted by non-transparency and cronyism.
Somchai Sawangkarn, a member of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), said the final step of choosing the 250 NRC members is running into problems as the screening process in many provinces lacks transparency and screening panelists have colluded to select candidates.
The problems have been found in Surin, Tak, Phatthalung, Phangnga and Chachoengsao provinces, he said. His investigation into complaints in several provinces found the screening panels picked candidates in their own circles. They failed to diversify the selections as required, he said.
The provincial screening panel is composed of a governor, a provincial election commission chairman, a community leader, a chief of a local administrative organisation and a member of the judicial process. Most of those chosen are from their professional circles, he said.
The NCPO must find ways to address the problem, or it could taint the process. He added the 11 committees screening candidates in 11 fields of reform have displayed no such problems with transparency. "The cloak of confidentiality kept over the names to be sent to the NCPO prevents the public from examining whether the screening panelists have worked transparently," Mr Somchai said.
"If the NCPO discovers these problems itself, selection of NRC candidates from the problematic provinces should be put on hold." As the charter states the number of NRC members must not exceed 250, there is no urgent need to select the candidates from the problematic provinces, he said.
Former senator for Phatthalung, Thawee Phumsingharat, echoed Mr Somchai's concerns, saying Phatthalung residents are wary of the provincial screening panelists, who they said may have colluded to handpick their own people.
The locals consider 15 people who had been invited by the panelists to be NRC candidates lack the qualifications needed, he said. Mr Thawee also called for the names of the five selected candidates from the province to be disclosed.
Yuthaporn Isarachai, dean of Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University's political science faculty, said more public participation should be sought as the selection process was not carried out through an election.
The selection panel must disclose scores and criteria they used to choose candidates, he said.
"There are many complaints the provincial screening panels are not impartial and favour their cronies," Mr Yuthaporn said, adding that influential groups have also played a role in the process.
Local Development Institute secretary-general Poldej Pinpratheep also urged the NCPO to reveal its criteria in narrowing down the candidates to the 10 NRC members required in each reform field, and the one candidate to be drawn from each province.
Government spokesman Yongyuth Mayalarp on Monday urged the public to send information on alleged collusion to the NCPO and the government.
