Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong has voiced support for amending provisions in the constitution on ethics for political office holders, saying the definition of “honesty” stipulated by such provisions is vague.
Pol Col Tawee, leader of the Prachachart Party, said the current constitution has been in use for more than seven years, and his party has supported amendments to problematic provisions.
He referred to Section 160, which lays down prerequisites for those who wish to become cabinet ministers. It states that they must be evidently honest and must not commit any severe violation of ethics for political officeholders.
“There is no clear definition regarding ethics. To what extent will the term ‘honesty’ have to be defined?” he asked rhetorically.
He was referring to the Constitutional Court’s removal of Srettha Thavisin as prime minister on Aug 14 for an ethical violation over his decision to appoint former convict Pichit Chuenban as a cabinet minister.
Pol Col Tawee said independent agencies have too much power that should be curbed.
“We agree with independent agencies keeping the government in check and tackling corruption, but they should operate within the proper parameters,” he said. “Political parties are also likely to be disbanded too easily under the constitution.”
Last month, the charter court ruled to dissolve the Move Forward Party and ban 11 of its executive members from politics for 10 years on the grounds that the party’s proposal to amend the lese-majeste law jeopardised the constitutional monarchy and national security.
The opposition People’s Party, the reincarnation of Move Forward, this week expressed its support for greater clarity when it comes to defining ethics. Many of its members are among the 44 Move Forward members who are still facing ethics investigations because of their support for lese-majeste law reform.
Pol Col Tawee said charter amendments covers issues including decentralisation, and people’s rights and freedoms, so opinions from various sectors must be gathered.
Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, a former election commissioner, warned on Thursday that any attempts to rewrite the charter, particularly provisions regarding ethics for politicians and the scope of power of independent agencies, may backfire.
“Is it reminiscent of blanket amnesty?” Mr Somchai asked, citing the Pheu Thai Party’s earlier bid to pass such a bill during the Yingluck Shinawatra administration. That ignited mass street protests, which led to the 2014 coup that ousted the Pheu Thai-led government.
The blanket amnesty bill was viewed as an attempt to legally whitewash her older brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was in self-exile abroad at the time.
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