A draft bill, proposed by Pheu Thai MP Prayuth Siripanich, to amend the Ministry of Defence Organisation Act and aimed at preventing military takeovers of the government, has met with strong opposition from two governing coalition parties and at least one retired army general.
United Thai Nation MP for Ratchaburi, Akkaradet Wongpitakroj, said today that the party opposed a similar bill when it was proposed by the now defunct Move Forward party, especially the sections which would allow politicians to interfere in military affairs.
He said that the United Thai Nation party is against the Pheu Thai draft as well, on the principle that politicians should not interfere in the military, whose main duty is to ensure national security.
The draft bill aims to enable the cabinet to have a final say in military reshuffles, instead of leaving it in the hands of the military, as has been the practice to date.
Reasons cited by proponents of the bill are that such a practice is unfair to military officers, who are capable but lack connections to climb the promotional ladder, while opening the way for nepotism within the military’s hierarchy.
Prayuth Siripanich is reported to have said that his objective in proposing the bill is to prevent Thailand from going backwards as a result of coups. He denied that the government wants to interfere with military reshuffles though.
Lt-Gen Watchara Ruethakanee, a former specialist at the National Defence Institute, said that the Pheu Thai party’s draft bill is very similar to a bill on the statute in Britain, which does not specify the reigning British monarch as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
In the British system, he said that the organisation of the military is undertaken by the Defence Council, which comprises representatives from political parties, the military and the palace.
He claims, however, that the Pheu Thai party wants to wield control over the military through military reshuffles, by putting its trusted officers in important positions.
Politicians specifying the criteria for officers qualified for the rank of General amounts to an insult to the military as an institution, opined Lt-Gen Watchara in his Facebook post today.
Bhumjaithai party leader Anutin Charnvirakul also voiced his strong objection to the draft bill.
