October 2002 : Bureaucracy Reform Started HM the King gave signatures for the Bureaucratic Reform Acts to start the nationwide bureaucracy reform from October 3 and approved the new cabinet. The cabinet named 6 new permanent secretaries and 10 members of the Bureaucratic Reform Committee. The selection panel of the Constitutional Court judge submitted 8 candidates to the Senate for final vote. The Constitutional Court takes NCCC's authority case. The House passed the National Health Insurance Act retaining controversial article 45 . The working group on Studying of local government made a conclusion. The general prosecutor filed Rakkiat Suthana's unusual wealth case to the court and the Election Commission made some changes on the political party subsidy fund. The Minister of Transportation Civil Officers Sub-Committee voted to dismiss 9 officers involved in the dredgers project while the Primary Court sentenced Chalerm Promlert, former Surat Thani senator, to 16 years imprisonment of girls abused. New cabinet HM the King gave royal approval on the Bureaucratic Reform Act and the Ministries Changes Act enacted on October 3 starting first bureaucratic reform in 110 years after the reform in the reign of King Rama V. The King also approved a new 35 cabinet ministers submitted by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinnawatr namely: 1.Chawalit Yongjaiyuth, deputy prime minister. 2.Suwit Khunkitti, deputy prime minister. 3.Chaturon Chai-sang, deputy prime minister. 4.Korn Tapparungsri, deputy prime minister. 5.Prommin Lertsuidej, deputy prime minister. 6.Vissanu Kreaungam, deputy prime minister. 7.Thammarak Issarangkul, minister of defense. 8.Somkit Chatusripitak, minister of finance. 9.Varathep Rattanakorn, deputy minister of finance. 10.Suchart Chaovisith, deputy minister of finance. 11.Surakiat Sathienthai, minister of foreign affairs. 12.Sonthaya Khunpuerm, minister of tourism and sports. 13.Anurak Jureemas, minister of social development and human securities. 14.Sora-at Klinpratoom, minister of agriculture and co-operatives. 15.Newin Chidchop, deputy minister of agriculture and co-operatives. 16.Suriya Jungroogreungkit, minister of transportation. 17.Pichet Satirachawal, deputy minister of transportation. 18.Nikorn Chamnong, deputy minister of transportation. 19.Prapat Panyachartrak, minister of natural resource and environment 20.Surapong Suepwonglee, minister of information technology and communications 21.Pongthep Thepkarnjana, minister of energy. 22.Adisai Photharamik, minister of commerce. 23.Wattana Muangsuk, deputy minister of commerce. 24.Wan Muhamad Nor Mata, minister of interior. 25.Pracha Maleenond, deputy minister of interior. 26.Pramual Rujanaseri, deputy minister of interior. 27.Purachai Piemsomboon, minister of justice. 28.Suwat Lipthapanlop, minister of laborforce. 29.Uraiwan Thienthong, minister of culture. 30.Pinit Charusombat, minister of seience and technology. 31.Phongphol Adireksarn, minister of education. 32.Sirikorn Maneerin, deputy minister of education. 33.Sudarat Keyurapan. minister of public health. 34.Pracha Promnok, deputy minister of public health. 35.Somsak Thepsuthin, minister of industry. 6 new permanent secretaries The cabinet meeting, October 8, announced 6 permanent secretaries of 6 new ministries in regards to Ministries Changes Act 2002 namely; 1.Khunying Thipavadee Meksawan, ministry of information technology and communications. 2.Chertpong Siriwit, ministry of energy. 3.Plotprasop Surasawadee, ministry of natural resource and environment. 4.M.R. Chakroth Jitrapong, ministry of culture. 5.Panit Nithitanprapas, ministry of social development and human securities. 6.Jadet Insawang, ministry of tourism and sports. Government officials' development The cabinet, on October 29, finalized 10 members of the Bureaucratic Reform Committee from the 16 candidates selected by the selection panel chaired by Vissanu Kreungam, namely; 1.Chai-Anan Samudavanija, former political science professor. 2.Bowornsak Uwano, King Prachathiphok Institute secretariat. 3.Meechai Ruchupan, chairman of the legislation revision for national development committee. 4.Preecha Jarungkitanan, rector of the National Institute of Development Administration. 5.Manuch Watcharakomein, former deputy permanent secretary of interior. 6.Orapin Sopchokchai, director of bureaucratic reform division, Office of Civil Service Commission. 7.M.R. Chatumongkol Sonakul, former director of the Central Bank. 8.Sompot Amartayakul, board member of the Office of Civil Service Commission. 9.Thammarak Karnpisith 10.Sompol Kiatpaiboon. The committee's function is to give the cabinet advice on bureaucratic reform in all aspects; structural system, budgeting, human resource, ethical standards etc. including compensation and other administration functions. This ad hoc committee should made conclusions and recommendations within 2 years. The committee was established in regards to the Bureaucratic Administration Act[ version 5] B.E. 2545, article 71/1 enacted on October 3, 2002. Selection of Constitutional Court judges The selection panel of the Constitutional Court judges , chaired by Attanithi Dithamnart chief of the Supreme Court judges, on October 31 announce 8 candidates from 32 name list to be submitted to the Senate for final vote to 4 to replace the former judges whose four and a half term terminated according to section 322 of the Constitution. Among the 8 candidates, 2 came from political science background; Suwan Suwandecho, former advisor of the Office of the PM and Wisuth Photan, former Election Commissioner while the other 6 are from the law background namely Prasith Ekabutr, Faculty of Law Thammasart University, Saowanee Asawaroj, Faculty of Law Thammasart University, Suthee Suthisomboon, former deputy secretariat to the PM, Sompong Wanapa, secreatarial of Board of Investment, Manit Wittayatem, former director of Customs Department, and Sombat Thiewissaret, former director general judge of the secondary court. Before submission to the Senate, those 8 names will be sent to the scrutinize panel for final check. National Health bill passed The House on October 9, voted 314 to 38 with 3 abstained and 4 non-vote to pass the controversial national health insurance bill amended by the Senate. The bill contains article 44 and 45 on compensation to the malpractice of medical personals. Previously some medical personals demanded banish of article 45 but Mrs. Sudarat Keyurapan, minister of public health promised to issue regulations to support and solve problems in the long run. Conclusion on the local government study The ad hoc panel on local government study, chaired by Pramual Rujanaseri, deputy minister of interior, concluded the local government study on October 10 on 3 main issues; 1.To maintain changwat administration authorities and redefine their functions not to be similar to those of municipals and tambon administration authorities. 2.To maintain municipalities and redefine their category into 3 levels according to sizes and population. 3.To maintain tambon administration authorities but any tambons of small population size and low revenue not self sufficient should be merge with municipals. After the study was disclosed members of the TAO association expressed their dissatisfaction on the conclusions cited that the government is un-sincere on decentralization but the panel said that these conclusion is not final and should be amended before submit to the government whip. Constitutional Court takes Veerapol's case The Constitutional Court judges voted 9 to 5 to accept NCCC's request to overrule on their authority in accords to section 266 of the Constitution. Regards to the NCCC's ruling on Veerapol Duangsoongneon, former Public Relations department director general guilty on computer procurement subjected to dismissal from office but the case was re-investigated when Mr. Veerapol appealed to the civil service sub-panel. As the sub-panel recommended Mr. Veerapol could return to office, the cabinet approved inconsistency to NCCC's ruling. The graft agency then asked the Constitutional Court to redefine on their authority in regards to section 3301[3] of the Constitution. The Court will ask both NCCC and the sub-panel to submit their comments and other statements within 15 days before start the overruling process. Prosecution of Rakkiat case The Office of the State Attorney file Rakkiat Suthana, former minister of public health, case to the supreme court political crime section asking for the seizure of his 233 million baht wealth in relate to NCCC ruling that he is unusually wealthy. If Mr. Rakkiat could not identify the source of this wealth he will be charged of corruption similarly to Jirayu Jarasthien former advisor to deputy minister of public health [ Theerawat Siriwanasarn] , who was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment. The political crime verdict is final without any appeal. Political party fund revised The Election Commission revised criteria on political party funding effected on 2003 on 4 principles; 1.35 percent would be allocated to parties in regards their numbers of MPs. 2.30 percent will be allocated to parties in regards to their party-list votes. 3.20 percent will be allocated in regards to their registered members. 4.15 percent will be allocated in regards to their branch offices. The new percentile is firstly used after the political party funding committee voted to eradicate names that appeared on more than one political party membership amounted to 1.7 million. Those 1.7 million names were excluded from funding calculation and any party with 2 office branches in the same constituency should be re-counted as one. Thai Rak Thai received the most fund 87.1 million baht while Democrat, Chart Pattana and Chart Thai received 47.4, 15.5 and 13.8 million baht respectively. The least funding 168,800 baht went to Rak Thin Thai party. 9 officials dismissed for corruption The Ministry of Transportation Civil Service sub-panel voted, on October 28, to dismiss 9 officials on ground of criminal guilty of corruption and malfeasance in procurement project of the 3 dredgers cost 2,000 million baht from US Ellicott Machine Corporation International Co., Ltd. Charnchai Chenchoei, Harbour Department secretary is dismissed with pension while the other 8 without pensions are; 1.Jong-Arch Bodhisunthorn, Deputy permanent secretary for the transport ministry and former director-general of the Harbour Department. 2.Sub-Lt Sanchai Kulpreecha, Deputy Harbour chief. 3.Sub-Lt. Prawait Rakpan, Navigation expert. 4.Sub-Lt. Vichet Phongthongcharoen, Regional harbour chief [Trang]. 5.Panya Soncharoen [ retired] 6.Ittipol Kanchanakit, Regional harbour chief [Songkla] 7.Danai Sripitak, Coastal dredging and maintenance chief. 8.Lt. Wit Worakupt, Retired and former harbour chief. However the 9 officials could appeal to the Office of Civil Service while the NCCC will submit the case to Chief State Attorney for criminal prosecution. The case was investigated by the National Counter Corruption Commission and submitted to the ministry on September 4 with recommendation to dismiss 9 officials within 30 days but was delayed when the ministry has question about the sub-panel's authority and whether their decision can be different from the NCCC's recommendation. The ministry seek the State Council's advisory but NCCC considered the delayed was intentionally . NCCC then submitted a letter to the prime minister asking for investigation and the PM ordered the sub-panel to rule as soon as possible. The dredgers procurement project started on September 1997 in Chawalit Yongjaiyuth administration when Harbour department signed contract worth 2,000 million baht with an American contractor to purchase three dredgers with 28-inch soil pipes but the contractor failed to supply the barges on scheduledMarch 24, 1999. The contract was extended but the dredgers were not obtained until March 2002 when the Thaksin administration cancelled the contract and demands compensation from Ellicott. It was later found out that Ellicott was bankrupted and the three dredgers were sold to another American company. US investigators reported that Ellicott executives bribed the Thai officials to change the contract and made the Thai government pay 85 percent down payment in advanced. Upon investigation, the NCCC found the 9 officials guilty of corruption and voted on dismissal. Former senator jailed Chalerm Promlert, former first Senate speaker from Surat Thani was sentenced by Thanyaburi court to 16 years imprisonment without punishment for sexual abuse of girls under 15 years of age. After the court ruled , Mr. Chalerm was released on bailing and will appeal to the secondary court. The case was filed on January 23, 2001 while Mr. Chalerm was taking office. There were controversy on his ethics so Mr. Chalerm resigned from thespeaker-ship on January 23, 2001 and from senator-ship on March 23 the same year.