NLA agrees on six new election bills
The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) agreed in principle on six related bills on local administration and elections, while passing the bill on water resources into law yesterday.
The six bills passing its first reading were a bill on the election of members of the local council or local leaders, a bill on the tambon council and the tambon administration organisation, a bill on municipalities, a bill on the provincial administration organisation, a bill on the administration of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and another on the administration of Pattaya City.
These draft laws deal with qualifications and prohibited qualifications of candidates for all local elections which are required to be consistent.
Those prohibited from standing include a person who has been discharged from prison for less than five years as of the election date, except for imprisonment for negligence or other petty crimes. A person facing a final sentence in an unusual wealth or fraud case is also ruled out under these draft laws.
The election of Bangkok’s district council members is suspended until the BMA’s regulations are amended to be in line with the government’s 20-year national strategy.
The BMA’s regulations will be amended after the bill on the administration of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has been passed into law.
Three NLA committees were set up to vet these six bills and they are given 60 days to get their jobs done. The bill on water resources, meanwhile, sailed through its second, third and final readings yesterday with 191 votes in favour, two votes against and six abstentions.
NLA member Gen Akanit Mueansawat, in his capacity as chairman of the NLA’s committee vetting the bill, said the bill was passed as the first law designed to facilitate the country’s sustainable water management.
Jen Namchaisiri, an NLA member who objected to the bill because he thought the bill is against the constitution, said after the bill was passed that he would still have to discuss with his fellow NLA members who also opposed the bill as to when they would petition against it.