The government has no intention of intervening in the military after a Pheu Thai MP proposed a bill to revise the Defence Ministry Administration Act, said Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
She said on Wednesday the bill has drawn mixed opinions and concerned parties must listen to every voice. "In this day and age the government does not intend to meddle with military affairs," she said. However, the prime minister noted that any move that benefits the country must be undertaken with cooperation from all sides.
Proposed by list-MP Prayuth Siripanich, the bill is intended to prevent future military coups by empowering the cabinet to endorse the appointment of generals proposed by a committee comprising the defence minister and chiefs of the armed forces.
The bill has drawn opposition from two coalition partners, Bhumjaithai and United Thai Nation (UTN), and the opposition Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) as allowing politicians to intervene in military affairs.
Some observers said the proposal may also cause tensions between Pheu Thai and the military. Ms Paetongtarn said the military apparently has no issues with the proposal when asked if the proposed amendment would upset the armed forces or create conflict.
She added Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai works closely with military leaders, and the government is focused on fostering peace and stability rather than provoking conflicts. She downplayed a reporter's question whether she would be the first person in the Shinawatra family to avoid a coup. She said that with efforts being directed at strengthening the economy there would be no conflicts to hinder progress.
Ms Paetongtarn, also the leader of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, said Mr Prayuth can seek to withdraw the draft amendment if he wants because it is not sponsored by the party. Mr Prayuth has said he proposed it because he disapproved of the repeated coups in the country. But if the bill was heavily opposed, he offered to withdraw it from parliament for revisions.
Mr Phumtham on Wednesday distanced his party from Mr Prayuth's bill, saying it was not endorsed by Pheu Thai. He welcomed the MP's remarks about withdrawing the bill for further improvement, which showed his openness to criticism. However, he declined to comment on which parts should be improved and said it was up to the bill sponsor to decide.
Parliament is gathering public opinions on Mr Prayuth's bill on its website until Jan 1. As of Monday, there were 27,113 respondents. Of them, 72.47% disagreed with the bill, and 27.53% supported it. Mr Prayuth's bill is one of three -- the other two were proposed earlier by the main opposition People's Party and former defence minister Sutin Klungsaeng.
Mr Phumtham also said he saw the Mr Sutin-sponsored bill and instructed the screening committee to make revisions as suggested so it can be submitted to parliament along with the opposition party's bill.
When asked if such a law can prevent a coup, the defence minister said anti-coup laws are already in place, and a coup is an illegal act under the constitution. However, he said that in practice, democratic awareness should be further strengthened so that issues can be resolved through a democratic process. He said the bill does not yet require a decision, just discussions.
Nattawut Saikuar, an adviser to the prime minister, wrote on Facebook in favour of the anti-coup bill although he doubted it could effectively prevent a coup. The former red-shirt leader said some people supported previous coups which gave the coup-makers justification. No laws could prevent coups as long as the public was divided and still saw military putsch as a solution, he said.