20-year plan ‘draws out military rule’

The draft 20-year national strategic plan seeks to provide an extension of military power after the general election and does not guarantee there will not be another coup, said Sathit Pitutecha, a deputy Democrat Party leader.

The draft, now being scrutinised after the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) voted to accept it for deliberation on April 21, has drawn flak from politicians for lacking public input and failing to keep abreast of the changing situation of the country.

Mr Sathit stressed the most critical point in the draft that allows the military’s top brass to sit on a “superboard” committee that will oversee national strategy.

He said the strategy was written by an unelected military government dominated by a single group of people. While acting fast and decisively in delivering some policies, the government is detached from the people and may not be receptive to their needs to be reflected in the national strategy.

The draft strategy does not conform to principles of legitimacy and he does not agree with planning the strategy over a period of 20 years because it does not correspond to rapid changes in the years to come, Mr Sathit said.

He also dismissed the government’s claim that the plan could be altered by a government later, arguing that with several armed forces leaders sitting on the superboard it would not be easy in practice to rectify the strategy.

Mr Sathit also raised concerns over whether the superboard, appointed by the junta government before the next general election, was intended to serve specific interests.

The draft strategy is likely to pass the second and third readings and any such “ease” of deliberation should not be a hushhush affair, he said.

“The committee [superboard] is coded in the draft as though to provide an extension of [military] power. A future government will not enjoy freedom to govern,” he said.

The deputy Democrat leader also countered the government’s argument that the strategy will safeguard against future military coups.

On the contrary, he said the strategy plan would be a catalyst for coups. “Suppose the superboard’s ideas are in conflict with the government’s policy direction. That could set a [political] trap they cannot get out of,” he said.

If the political quagmire persists with no way to fix it, it could lead to a gridlock and possibly a coup, according to Mr Sathit.

“The government obviously wants to have a say in running the country after the next election. It doesn’t want to give up its power,” he said.

Before the draft strategy was accepted for deliberation, most NLA members threw their support behind it though they thought too many military top brass were represented on the superboard.

Before the vote, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said the draft was written in tandem with the draft bill on the proceedings of national reforms, only it was more important as the constitution requires the cabinet to furnish a legal framework for national strategy covering security, economy and budget utilisation within 120 days of the charter being promulgated.

The national strategy is binding on all agencies.