Amendment of six laws in the pipeline

Draft bills to amend six laws relating to regional governing bodies have been drawn up and feedback is being sought from relevant agencies although the amendments will not be finished this year, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Kreangam said yesterday.

Mr Wissanu said the amendments will not be wrapped up this year with less than two months to go before the year is out.

The remaining time is now being spent on gathering feedback on the proposed amendments.

Speaking after yesterday’s meeting to discuss readiness for local elections, Mr Wissanu said that the Council of State — the government’s legal advisory body — has drawn up draft bills to amend the six laws relating to regional governing bodies.

Mr Wissanu said the six laws would have to be amended in order to meet the stricter requirements that are stipulated under the new constitution before local elections can take place.

The six laws are those governing elections of local councils and local executives, the provincial administration organisations, the tambon administration organisations, the thessaban municipalities, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Pattaya City administration.

The Interior Ministry is now holding forums to gather feedback from relevant agencies, including the Provincial Administration Organisation Council of Thailand, the Tambon Administration Organisation Association of Thailand and the National Municipal League of Thailand, Mr Wissanu said.

He said the amendment bills will later be presented to the cabinet and then to the National Legislative Assembly.

Asked if the National Council for Peace and Order will partially lift the ban on political activities when the six amended laws are enacted so the elections could go ahead, Mr Wissanu said that the NCPO would consider what local elections would be held and when.

Since seizing power in May 2014, the NCPO has prohibited political activities and suspended all local elections with vacant seats being filled by a selection process.

Mr Wissanu said the meeting yesterday also discussed the observations on local elections made by Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.

One issue involves the status of local administrators who have been suspended in the wake of the NCPO’s crackdown on corruption since 2014.