Public, private representatives to field candidates for Thai reform council

BANGKOK, August 9 (TNA) - A large number of representatives from the public and private sectors on Saturday attended a meeting, aimed at screening potential members of the National Reform Council (NRC). The meeting was held at the Thai Army Club and presided over by National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) leader and army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha. Gen Prayuth said during the opening of the meeting that the NRC is necessary and it “marks the first time in which a reform is to be undertaken to enable a democratic system to move forward. Although it’s difficult and foreign countries don’t fully comprehend, we still have to proceed with it, while today should be considered as a historic day for the country.” Kritsada Boonrat, director-general of Interior Ministry’s Provincial Administration Department, said that every province is now ready to support the selection of NRC members. The selection will be carried out by a committee comprising provincial governors, provincial chairman of Election Commission (EC), provincial chief judges, provincial administrative organisation and representatives of the private sector. Kritsada said his department was responsible for organising meetings of representatives from five groups which had discussed 11 areas of national reform. The department compiled opinions after the meetings ended in late July and they would be later forwarded to an NRC meeting. Puchong Nutrawong, secretary-general of the EC, said non-profit private firms would be allowed to field candidates for positions in the 11 groups of the selection committee, starting from August 14 to September 2. Puchong said he believed that the selection process of the 11 groups of the selection committee would be fair, and that knowledgeable persons would be chosen to join the committee. (End)