CDC reviews clauses linked to primaries
Contentious issues in the proposed primary vote have been reviewed, including the removal of the Election Commission’s role in supervising the primaries, and to make party leaders and executives accountable for vote-buying in the selection of MP candidates, the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) says.
CDC member Udom Rathamarit said yesterday the review of the proposed primaries was made to five sections of the organic bill on political parties and one section of the provisional clause.
The changes were agreed by Gen Somjet Boonthanom, chairman of the committee which scrutinised the organic bill in the National Legislative Assembly (NLA).
Mr Udom said the review by the CDC will be presented to the tripartite panel set up to settle differences of opinion over the bill, after it was passed by the NLA. The tripartite panel will be made up of representatives of the NLA, the CDC, and the chairman of the Election Commission.
Points of contention arose after the NLA scrutinised the organic bill introducing the primary vote. Critics, including politicians, insisted it would be impractical for parties, particularly those with limited means, to organise primaries requiring party members to vote in choosing candidates to stand in a general election.
The critics also pointed to loopholes through which financiers could pay party members to vote for certain potential candidates, which would defeat the purpose of having the primaries to truly invite public participation in deciding who they want to run as their candidates.
It was also debated whether the primaries should count as part of the election process.
If so, the EC should supervise them and be able to disqualify or suspend candidates in case the selection is rigged.
Mr Udom said yesterday the CDC has decided the EC will keep clear of the primaries.
The party leader and executives will be legally responsible for making sure the primary vote is conducted honestly or they will be fined upto 10,000 baht or jailed for a maximum six months.
The CDC is working out the punishment against people to buy or sell primary votes.
“The primary vote is an issue strictly internal to a party,” he said, adding political parties must pick MP candidates through the primaries in time for candidacy registration.
Mr Udom added the CDC has also agreed to relax the criteria in the provisional clause to allow small parties with limited resources to set up party branches in provinces and field candidates across all constituencies in such provinces without having to appoint a party representative in every constituency.
He said he believed the NLA would not vote down the revised organic bill on political parties after having passed it before the tripartite panel was set up.