The Progressive Movement has denied it is pushing for the immediate abolition of local leaders, the kamnan and phuyaiban (village chiefs), saying it plans to put the issue to a referendum.
Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, the movement's secretary-general, insisted neither he nor the movement had any power to remove local leaders.
Addressing a discussion on power decentralisation policy in Nonthaburi yesterday, Mr Piyabutr explained what the group suggested was that a referendum be held in five years on whether the current local power structure, with kamnan and phuyaiban taking on the roles that they have, be done away with.
If people supported the removal of the status quo, the government would need to figure out what the new system would be and how to transition to it. It must also let people know about the changes in local administrative power, Mr Piyabutr said.
"But if people decide against any changes, we'll live with the status quo," he added.
Mr Piyabutr maintained the roles of kamnan and phuyaiban and those of provincial administrative organisations must be distinguished to resolve any overlapping powers.
The Progressive Movement, he said, has initiated a sign-up campaign for constitutional amendments to set a clear distinction for tasks and roles between those of central government agencies and local leaders. The separation would also define the work, budget and manpower to be allocated to local administrative organisations.
If and when a bona fide power decentralisation is accomplished -- where overlapping powers are sorted out -- the roles and future of kamnan and phuyaiban will be redefined, according to Mr Piyabutr.
For example, he said they will not be replaced and their number would be progressively reduced. The current local leaders would be given a new status as local officials. Alternatively, a civic council may be established in each local area with the kamnan and phuyaiban offered a post to look after the welfare of residents.
Meanwhile, Woothisarn Tanchai, secretary-general of the King Prajadhipok's Institute, said laws were amended in the past to trim some powers of kamnan and phuyaiban which overlapped with those of tambon administrative organisations and other centrally supervised local administrations.
The amendments have effectively left local administrations to concentrate on implementing local developments such as building infrastructure whereas kamnan and phuyaiban will be in charge of maintaining peace and order and updating domicile registrations in localities, he said.
Mr Woothisarn said several posts similar to kamnan and phuyaiban may need to go if the axe falls on local leaders, including assistant phuyaiban, sarawat kamnan (kamnan inspectors) and tambon-level physicians.
As a matter of principle, the work of kamnan, phuyaiban and other related officials is supposed to be discontinued once rural communities are modernised and have access to sustained, basic infrastructures, he said.
Tambon-level physicians, for example, have not been scrapped despite state-run public health hospitals being up and running in tambons nationwide.
In his view, the roles of kamnan and phuyaiban may be kept intact although their job descriptions must be redrawn to stipulate more specific tasks they must perform such as drug suppression and catching local thugs.
In many rural communities, local leaders know the residents and local problems well and can assist the police in enforcing the law, according to Mr Woothisarn.
Yongyot Kaewkeao, president of the kamnan and village chiefs association of Thailand, dismissed criticism that local leaders stood in the way of power decentralisation. "How can that be when members of the provincial administration organisations and tambon administration organisations are freely elected?" he said.
Apparently taking aim at the Progressive Movement, he said the group was trumpeting power decentralisation to conceal a sinister agenda. He alleged the group may be trying to uproot the country's system of governance.