February 16, 2024
BANGKOK – Imposed by National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) that took power after the 2014 coup that toppled Yingluck Shinawatra’s government, the order transferred the power to hold entrance examinations to the central committee to address corruption in the provincial government recruitment process.
The Move Forward-proposed bill, if enacted, would enable local authorities to hold entrance exams by themselves, which they are currently prohibited by the post-coup order, said Move Forward’s list-MP Woraphop Viriyaroj during Wednesday’s House debate.
Woraphop believes that the bill would tackle corruption, which he said had remained rampant during the past six years.
He said the core problem was not the organiser of the exams, but rather the quality of the procedures. The process must be transparent, he said.
The lawmaker also pointed out that the NCPO’s order had resulted in employee shortage at local administrative organisations, because the exams are held twice a year instead of four times annually.
Besides the bill proposed by the largest opposition party, there are two being pushed by the Pheu Thai Party and one by the Democrat Party.
Other parties have also been attempting to revoke the NCPO’s orders; for example, the ruling coalition Bhumjaithai Party MP Saritpong Kiewkong, on Monday, submitted a bill to the President of the Parliament, proposing to repeal 71 laws promulgated by the coup leaders.
Saritpong said his group has studied all 240 orders issued by the NCPO, 71 of which had been turned into law, and found that they could only be abrogated by enacting a bill. He added that he believed the 240 orders were undemocratic and in violation of basic human rights. This move is backed by opposition parties.