Senior soldiers newly appointed as junta’s rubber stamps were necessary for maintaining national peace and order even though they neither have legislative experience nor legal knowledge, said junta’s lawmakers chairman.
On 12 October 2016, Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, Chair of National Legislative Assembly (NLA), the junta’s lawmakers, said that the appointment of new 33 NLA members, 26 of them are senior soldiers, was crucial to the maintenance of country’s peace and order, reported Matichon Online.
In response to the public concern that the most of the new rubber stamps have no legislative experience and legal education, The chairman said that the NLA requires security officials to properly push forward the country to democracy.
Pornpetch added Thai society has been accustomed with military so he does not see any problem of having military in the lawmaking process.
“Thai people respect and trust military officers. Therefore, military appointed as NLA members can voice out local people’s problems in the assembly,” said Pornpetch. “So I beg [people] not to think that military won’t benefit legislative works.”
The newly-appointed NLA members will start running the national office on 13 October.
