The People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) wants the new charter to abolish the party-list poll system and make the Senate fully appointed, rather than partially elected and partially appointed as it was under the abolished constitution.
While its main leader Suthep Thaugsuban remains in the monkhood, others from the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) are among the first to present solid suggestions to the Constitution Drafting Committee. (Post Today file photo)
The PDRC made the proposals at a session organised by the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) Tuesday to gather opinions for the drafting of the charter, CDC spokesman Lertrat Ratanawanit said.
The PDRC also wants the number of MPs decreased, thereby increasing the number of constituents represented by each MP. They did not specify the number of MPs, according to Gen Lertrat.
As for the Senate, the PDRC said the appointed senators should represent a wide range of professions, and because the senators are appointed, they should not have authority to impeach MPs, Gen Lertrat said.
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The PDRC also proposed that the Election Commission should no longer have the authority to disqualify elected MPs and should only be responsible for gathering evidence about suspected election law violations.
They would then bring the case to the court and leave the rest to judges.
The PDRC proposed that each political party should be made up of at least 5% of eligible voters, Gen Lertrat said.
The voters, meanwhile, should be allowed to donate a higher amount of their income taxes to political parties than the maximum 100 baht currently allowed, Gen Lertrat said.
The PDRC suggested that taxpayers be allowed to donate 5% of their taxable income, saying the higher number of donations would bring more financial security to the political parties receiving them, he said.
The PDRC also asked the CDC to make all provincial governors and other local leaders, such as village heads and kamnans, elected officials, part of a decentralisation of administrative power, said Gen Lertrat.
The village heads and the kamnans should only be allowed to serve a maximum of two terms. The current system allows them to hold their positions for their life.
In its proposal about the fight against corruption, the PDRC suggested the statute of limitations in every corruption case be extended to the lifetime of the accused.
It also wants to decentralise the police's administrative power. Another related proposal is that public prosecutors must be prohibited from holding positions on the boards of state enterprises.
Gen Lertrat said all of these proposals will be used as fodder for the CDC's drafting of the constitution. The PDRC said it plans to closely monitor the charter drafting process.
He said martial law would not hinder the 10 public hearings planned to be carried out during the charter drafting.
PDRC spokesman Akanat Promphan said the proposals submitted to the CDC have been compiled from opinions heard during its 204-day street protests.
National Reform Council chairman Thienchay Kiranandana, meanwhile, said the CDC was ready for the King Prajadhipok's Institute to prepare public forums for students to express their political views in a positive way instead of through public demonstrations, which are illegal under martial law.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed the institute to organise these forums after five Khon Kaen University students gave three-finger salutes to protest against the May 22 coup d'etat while he was speaking in the province last week .
The salute is borrowed from The Hunger Games franchise and is being used to signify resistance to the military regime.