Drafters back five media reform ideas

Charter drafters have agreed on five reform proposals they will build into a “media freedom” section of the new constitution.

After a three-hour meeting yesterday, the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) agreed to attach the proposals to the charter sections related to media freedom, said Wasan Paileeklee, spokesman of the National Reform Council (NRC) on media reform affairs.

The NRC members debated at length before concluding where the proposals should go in the charter.

The proposals issued by the NRC cover: Creating a law to promote media ethics and freedom; devising measures to prevent manipulation or interference in the media; enacting a law that regulates the use of the state public relations budget to keep it from being spent in a way that could dominate the media.

The other proposals cover amending the official information law to allow the press to gain access to state information more easily; and protecting consumers from damage by media reports.

Meanwhile, the CDC also agreed a new education body will be formed to spearhead the decentralisation of education.

A committee on education policy and national human development will be set up under the office of the prime minister, said Prapapat Niyom, secretary of the National Reform Council (NRC)’s education reform committee, who also attended the meeting.

The body will work out strategies, screen budget allocations and proceed with legal amendments to make sure the power to oversee management of education is decentralised, Ms Prapapat said.

The decentralisation will give local education authorities more authority to design a curriculum that answers to the needs of the workforce.

However, concerns were raised in the NRC that the committee’s task could overlap with that of the Office of Education Council. The council could end up serving as the administration office of the committee, she said.

Health reform was also highlighted. CDC deputy chairman Chuchai Suphawong said one aim is to improve the health care system for the 100,000 tambon health hospitals nationwide.

Local bodies will also play a part in helping people gain access to services equally, he said.