Many of my friends have written on Facebook that they prefer the administration of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to an elected government because the NCPO will have no corruption problems.
Although I question their reasoning, I totally agree with them that our country needs to get rid of graft. But we need proof the junta is indeed a cleaner administration.
Here are my ideas on how to prove that NCPO is a “no corruption” administration.
Before the May 22 coup, research showed that corruption accounted for 30-50% of the budget for development projects. The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce in January estimated that graft in Thailand last year cost the country 240-330 billion baht, compared with the country’s overall investment and procurement budget of 2.4 trillion baht.
Many politicians and anti-government protesters under the People’s Democratic Reform Committee also cited this outrageous 30-50% figure in their campaign against the previous government. In layman’s terms, it means when we build a road with a 100-baht budget, some politicians get at least 30 baht from it.
It follows then that with only 70 baht, a non-corrupt government can build a road to the same specifications. In other words, if the NCPO cannot reduce the budget for building roads, then we should see new roads of better quality since some people said the previous government got kickbacks from turning a blind eye to poor specifications.
If the NCPO can do this, I will give them a round of applause.
We can apply the same approach to many other development projects. If many (or every) previous government gleaned 30-50% profits on projects, we should see our overall development budget reduced by 30-50% under a clean NCPO government.
We should get new bridges, new buildings at lower prices and of better quality. We will get better quality medicines from public hospitals while state schools will have better equipment because no one will take under-the-table procurement money. Whether a government is clean or not can be proven in a very short time.
Besides the budget, I would like to see more evidence of the NCPO’s commitment to reform of laws. Past governments said they would reform land and inheritance tax laws. I have not seen any government fulfill these promises.
If the NCPO pushes for the restructuring of land and building taxes during its administration to reduce the disparity between the rich and poor, it will prove it is not the protector of the privileged classes.
Other important legislation that needs to be addressed is relates to corruption. As it stands, court cases involving graft expire after 20 years. There have been proposals that the law should be amended with no statute of limitations. But no governments or parliaments in the past have taken this up.
There are also some non-political laws which many organisations have long asked to change. For example, punishment for drunk drivers who kill innocent people on the road. At present, they face pretty low punishment terms. Many are calling for capital punishment for rapists.
Toward change for a more just society, I sincerely hope the junta-installed parliament will do things more quickly, more efficiently, and more transparently, than past administrations which were too busy “playing politics”.
If the NCPO and the soon-to-be-set up reform council and parliament can usher in reforms to improve the life and security of people as social justice, I will give them another round of applause.
Reducing the budget by making it corruption-free and effecting legal reform should not be difficult under the NCPO’s absolute power. Don’t forget that the junta have been telling us they have no conflicts of interest and that they will put their full efforts into cleaning up our country.
However, I do not believe the NCPO will be able to create real peace or full harmony among all Thais in a short period of time as the country has been divided ... possibly beyond reconciliation. Being realistic, I never hope that all things ahead will go smoothly. But I do hope to see some change, and some proof that an administration under the military is cleaner than elected governments.
For now, I still cannot make myself believe the NCPO will fare much better. But I am willing to wait to see proof. When I see it with my own eyes, I will then believe and give the junta a big, big round of applause.
Many may think I am wrong here. Please prove me wrong, if you can.
Suphaphan Plengmaneepun is assistant managing editor, Bangkok Post.