The National Reform Council (NRC) on Monday approved in principle a bill to set up another controversial national ethics assembly to scrutinise the behaviour of political-office holders.
The proposed assembly would issue a code of ethics and investigate the moral behaviour of politicians, civil servants as well as private companies that do business with the state.
The establishment of the national ethics assembly is supported by proposed provisions in the new constitution.
The bill was put forward by an NRC committee on reform of ethics, morality and good governance, chaired by NRC member Pondej Pinprateep.
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Mr Pondej told the NRC meeting Monday that a lack of morals and ethics among politicians and institutions are partly to blame for the crises and corruption besetting the country. The bill to create the national ethics assembly is a concrete step to address those problems.
The bill would also seek to form a national ethics council, a Thai ethics forum, a national office of morals, ethics and good governance, as well as a panel responsible for running the office, he said.
Mr Pondej said the national ethics assembly's role would be to set ethical standards for political-office holders, civil servants, independent organisations under the new charter, and companies doing business with the state.
The assembly would also investigate and try cases involving violations of ethical standards, arrange for research on morals and good governance, work with other agencies for more efficiency in enacting the standards and empower networks to create those ideals in society.
NRC vice-chairman and Constitution Drafting Committee chairman Borwornsak Uwanno said those who failed to follow the national ethics assembly's resolutions could be disciplined if they are state officials, as the assembly would have the authority to investigate them.
If the assembly found politicians guilty of impropriety and thinks they should be impeached, the assembly would send their names to the Election Commission (EC). The EC would put their names to a vote, letting the public decide in the next election whether voters should ban them from politics for five years.
In terms of membership, Mr Pondej said that a national ethics council would comprise five members selected from people from various professions, who are seen as models of ethics and morals.
Their appointments would be approved by the Senate, and they would serve only a single six-year term, Mr Pondej said.
He said the national ethics assembly would comprise at least 55 members. They would be nominated by various sectors and organisations for appointment by the national ethics council.
Members of the national ethics assembly would also serve a term of six years. Every three years, half of the members would have to vacate office by drawing lots.
Their task would be to draw up a code of ethical and moral conduct, which would be submitted for endorsement by the national ethics council.
The assembly's role would be to handle complaints relating to violations of the code of ethical and moral conduct, and forward the complaints to relevant agencies to take criminal or disciplinary action against officials accused of violating the code of conduct, Mr Pondej said.
He said the proposed Thai ethics forum would serve as a meeting place for all networks relating to ethics, moral integrity and good governance to share information and work together to promote moral values.
"We are confident that the national ethics assembly is a new idea and a new approach capable of addressing moral and ethical problems. It builds on enforcing the law by empowering society to complement legal measures.
"The national ethics assembly will begin work before the new constitution is enacted and will become an organisation under the new charter when the new charter is enforced," Mr Pondej said.
Mr Pondej said the NRC will submit the bill to the cabinet for consideration and the cabinet will then forward the bill to the National Legislative Assembly for endorsement.
Pattana Ruanjaidee, deputy rector of Ramkhamhaeng University, said the assembly raises the question of why it can probe state officials and politicians who come to power through elections while the assembly itself does not come to power from elections or from the people.
Former Pheu Thai MP Samart Kaewmeechai said the assembly proposal stems from the view that politicians are bad people who enter politics for their own gain, adding that the assembly could also be used as a political tool to get rid of opponents.