November 2006 : Surayud’s Policy Statement: Political Reform-Sufficiency Economy Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont delivered a policy statement outlining key goals on political reform and sufficiency economy to the National Legislative Assembly. Two more deputy ministers were named to the Office of the Prime Minister and ministry of Finance. The government plans to set up a Political Development Council to promote new dimension on political and democracy learning process. The minister of Social Development and Human Resources disclosed 3 social development strategies. Martial law was lifted in 41 provinces including Bangkok. The National Security Council published a White Paper revealing the causes of September 19 coup. SML project continues with a 9 billion baht budget for implementation. The cabinet approved a plan to suspend a 35 percent budget allocation to local authorities. The Administrative Court accepted a petition on the privation of the Mass Communication Plc. A monthly pension for senior citizen shall be increased to 500 baht. Political reform- sufficiency economy Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont on November 3 delivered a policy statement to the National Security Council (NSC) that his government would focus on 5 key points: Encouraging people’s involvement at every stage of political reform. Promote measures to prevent and tackle corruptions, malfeasance and conducts that lead to conflict of interest. Mapping out a master plan for political development, and setting up a Political Development Council to promote people’s knowledge of politics and to ensure politicians comply with moral and ethical standards. Promoting press freedom and public liability. A new law on radio and television broadcasting will be enacted to regulate state, private and community media outlets for public services. Promoting the role of civic group and encouraging state officials and organizations to uphold professionalism and honesty. Promoting the decentralization of power. In regards to the economy, the government has three sets of policies designed to met the specific requirement of each of the three economy levels- individual, market and national. At the individual level, dubbed the economic foundation, the four key policies are: Encouraging small-scale farmers to embrace the New Economic Theory under the royal initiative. The theory aims to help each farming family achieve sufficiency. Promoting products and services from each community and locality. Promoting labor welfare and the upgrading of labor skills. Ensuring a social safety for the under-privileged and workers who cannot adapt to market changes. The policy for the market economy include: Promoting investment projects, particularly those designed to enhance local intellectual property and technology transfer. Promoting small and medium size enterprises by introducing technology and modern management. Encouraging private driven exports. Promoting the country as a quality tourist destination. Promoting energy conservation and developing alternative energy sources. Improving the management of mega-projects and setting a clearer prioritization for implementation. Mapping out a master plan to develop the intellectual infrastructure for a knowledge-based society. Ensuring a balance between the exploitation and conservation of natural resources. Allowing people’s involvement in international trade negotiations. Updating laws and trade regulations. For the overall economy, the government will aim for a national plan to boost sufficiency, promoting saving at every economic level and incur budget deficit to fuel growth. Regarding social affairs, the key policies are the overhaul of law enforcement to ensure justice, instilling morals and ethics through the education system and restoration of peace in the South Regarding the foreign affairs, the government will promotion understanding and relations with Asean and other neighboring countries. For national security in peace time, the government will encourage the arm forces to participate in development projects and assist in tackling emergencies. Criticisms on national policies After Prime Minister Surayud read out the new administration policy’s statement to the 242-member legislature there were some comments as follow: NLA member Prasong Soonsiri criticized the government for espousing unrealistic policies, which could hardly be delivered in the limited time given to the interim government. He urged the administration to prove that its allegations- including those of corruption and lese-majeste-against the government of deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra were real. Another legislator, Wuthipong Preibjariyawat, was disappointed with the new government’s policy platform, saying it mentioned nothing about solving the national crises. Instead of closing loopholes that led to widespread political abuse, the government gave priority to trivial matters such as reducing the national lottery’s jackpot and banning all booze advertisement. He said. Wallop Tangkhananurak said the government’s policies had failed to boost the public confidence. As the new administration has to prove itself to the people, he suggested the government should convince them how it would translate its four main policies into effective action. The four policies are: anti-corruption, political reform, sufficiency economy and national reconciliation. Fellow NLA member Praphan Khunmee argreed the Surayud government was under pressure from the people and added the government should draw up its model political plan quickly to hasten political reform. Meanwhile it has to reveal to the common man how the Thaksin government had conflicts of interest with the people, for example in the Shin Corp sale. He also called the government to amend some laws relating to corruption, including allowing the general public to file complaints against government officials and politicians. Paisarn Puechmongkol criticized on the deficit budgeting that it is contradict to the sufficiency economy and urged the government to revise the budget plan by reducing investment and central budget. In order to efficiently anti-corruption, the government should review the Thaksin’s mega-projects and clearly show that this government will not protect malfeasants. Waemahadee Waedao said it is not proper to underline the southern problems and disclosed the local people’s remarks that nobody really know the situation. Every analysis are all speculations and no one knows who is who, he said. The local is living in fear but support the policy on justice reform and promoting public participation. The state of emergency decree should be replaced with another internationally accepted measure. The government should provide every sub-district with a lawyer to assist the injustice. The current justice centers initiated by the National reconciliation Commission id inadequate and the Prime Minister should send one minister, under direct command, to be permanently positioned in the deep south. The three southern provinces are lack ed of teachers and doctors and the way to solve this problems is to give bright students in the area direct access to the university in Pattani so they will be working in their home town after graduate. Purachai Piemsomboon remarked that the overall policy is good but made remarks on: 1. the policy should be clear since it is to be accomplished within one year and there should be an evaluation measure, 2. the budget should be balanced, sufficiency and moderate, 3. the things that are not going to be done; mega-projects, should be incorporated in the policy statement and 4. actions against corruption should be focused and implemented. Two more ministers appointed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont has sought His Majesty the King’s endorsement for the appointment of two more ministers to the interim cabinet. The two are PM’s Office Minister Prasith Kowilaikul and Deputy Finance Minister Sommai Phasee. The appointments increased the number of the cabinet members from 26 to 28. Political Development Council Regarding to the PM statement policy, the government is preparing to set up a Political Development Council aims to promote learning process of democracy in respect to the new political dimension. Roles, responsibilities, organization chart and wide fram work of the new council will be later discussed but it should be relevant to the drafting of the permanent constitution. The PDC bylaw will be drafted by a 19-members panel, headed by NLC member Sujit Boonbongkarn and representatives from academics, public and people’s sectors. There will be a public hearing before submitting to the cabinet for approval. Social development strategies Minister of Social Development and Human Security Paiboon Wattanasiritham revealed 3 strategies on social development as follow: Promoting cooperation within a society to take care for the under-privileged and neglected. Strengthening community by promoting unity in civil society and mapping a development plan on self-sustain and self-problems-solving through legislation of Civic Council. Promoting moral and ethics as a basis of society behaviors and norms. Moreover, in regards to the current national crises, the ministry has 4 urgent policies to: Build up reconciliation in the nation. Encourage local authority and community to take care of the under-privileged and neglected. Setting up of provincial justice clinic and encouraging peace-making and reconciliation to solve the violence. Stimulating cooperation between the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre and other state agencies. Making community development plans as local roadmaps and assist the community to solve its own problems. Revitalization of the 46 flood-effected provinces and encourage the locality to make its own plan. Promoting morality and ethics in the society, starting from the ministry to other agencies. Campaign on good governance, honesty and public-mind. Martial law lifted in 41 provinces The cabinet on November 28 approved the Defense Ministry proposal to lift the Marshal law in 41 provinces including Bangkok Metropolitan. For those 35 provinces, including Chiang Mai, Kampangpetch, Burirum and Khon Khaen and the three southern provinces; Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, in which the martial law is retained because there is still subversive activities; international and domestic insecurities, drugs smuggling, unlawful trading and smuggling. Previously the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) voted unanimously to cancel the national wide banning of political gathering of more than 5 people under the Council of National Security (CNS) regulation. Motives for the coup The Council for National Security published a 35 page white paper “Facts about the Reform of Thai Politics on September 19, 2006” to explain to the Thai public the key events and reasons leading to their decision to overthrow the Thaksin government which led to unprecedented polarization, destruction of the system of checks and balances power among the independent institutions and divide-and-rule tactics that risked creating violence as follow: Corruption/ conflict of interest. Changed concessions on mobile phone business to excise tax system. Created satellite business to gain promotion from Board of Investment. Corruption at Suvarnabhumi Airport and the purchase of CTX bomb detection scanners. Corruption in the construction of railway airport link. Lack of transparency in privatization of state enterprises. Media interference. Abuse of power. Appointed family, relatives, closed aides to high-ranking positions. Used state budget without seeking approval from the House in projects to promote government popularity. Abuse of power by negotiating with foreign countries for the interest of themselves (EXIM Bank loans). Abuse of power by instructing state agencies to investigate assets of government opponents. Infringed on ethics and moral integrity of the country’s leader. Sold satellite concession and television station to a foreign country. Evaded taxes from share sale. Interference in the political checks-and-balances system. Interfered with the Senate which appointed independent agencies that checked the government. Interfered with the appointment of Election Commission, Constitutional Court judges and National Counter Corruption Commission and Auditor-General. Policy flaws that led to human-rights violations. Extrajudicial killing of drug suspects. Policy mismanagement and abuse of power in solving violence in the South. Created rift, destroyed public unity and instigated confrontation. Blocked information that checked the government and the prime minister. Created confrontation between anti and pro government supporters. 35% budget to local authorities postponed The cabinet on November 7 approved the revision of the Decentralization Act 1999 to suspend the 35 percent budget allocation to local authorities. However, all local authorities should receive a maximum of 25 percent. In regards to the Decentralization Act 1999 fiscal budget to the local authorities should be 35 percent of total expenditure in 2006. The cabinet also approved a budget of 292,670,000 baht to establish 5 royal patronized schools in the 5 souther border provinces; Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Satul and Songkhla and their 350 personals. Schools construction will be supervised by military officers form the army development unit and local labor forces. It is expected that the schools will accommodate 810 students and the curriculum will be taught in both Thai, and local dialect, Yawi, of both Bhuddhisim and Islam, to promote reconciliation to the locality. MCOT petition accepted The Administration Court on November 23 accepted a petition, submitted by Weera Somkamkid and allies, against former PM Thaksin Shinawatra and the Office of the Prime Minister on the irregularities of the privatization of the Mass Communication organization of Thailand (MCOT). Weera asked the court to cancel and nullify the cabinet’s decision that transferred MCOT into a public company and registered in the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). The court accepted to consider whether to rule on the case. Old age pension increased The Interior Ministry asked the cabinet to approve the increase of old age monthly pension from 350 to 500 baht, equivalent to the crippled and AIDS victims allowance, to cope with inflation and economic sore. Upon approval, the budget will be allocated through the local authority budget.