Draft bill on political parties ready for public review

CDC chief Meechai Ruchupan said drafters will submit the final draft of the bill to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), which is entitled by the Constitution to make amendments and decide on the final version of the law. 
Meechai said that although the initial version of the draft does not include party dissolution as a penalty, a party can still lose its status if it goes against conditions set in the law, such as bankruptcy. 
If parties are found guilty of any of the crimes stipulated in the charter, they would be punished accordingly, he added. 
As for boosting participation within the party, Meechai explained that the organic law specified that party members must have a hand in choosing the party’s board members. 
To establish a new party, founding members should contribute at least Bt2,000 each to ensure the party has sufficient funds for operation, he added. 
This contribution is intended to keep financiers away from political parties, though some politicians have pointed out that not every party member will have Bt2,000 to pay as fees.
Meechai said each party was obliged to find members who can afford the fee, adding that it would not be right to have poorly-funded parties because their job is to run the country if elected.
The chief drafter denied allegations that the CDC was prolonging the process of writing organic laws, saying the drafters had eight months to complete the job before passing them on to the NLA, which will have 60 days for final deliberation. 
Meechai also added that the CDC welcomed all public opinions.
As per the charter, which was accepted in a public referendum in August, the CDC has to come up with 10 organic laws – four concerning the Election Commission, political parties, MPs and the Senate, and six related to independent agencies. 
The first four are the CDC’s top priority as they are necessary for an election to be held next year as scheduled. 
CDC spokesman Udom Rathamarit, meanwhile, said he will present the latest draft of the parties law at a conference today, and that he will answer questions and accept all public opinions. 
The official version of the draft will be ready next week when all stakeholders, including politicians, will be invited, he said, adding that he will also be on hand to provide explanations. 
In a related development, Meechai, who is also a member of a committee responsible of drafting the national reform bill under the Council of State, said the bill was nearly ready. The bill will play an important role in the 20-year national strategy plan and should be handed over to the NLA by next month, he explained. 
However, he said, public opinion on all aspects should be taken into account, so completing everything may take a year. He also added that any policies proposed by politicians must follow the national strategy.