The appointment of more senior soldiers to the junta’s rubber-stamp parliament was necessary to maintain national peace and order even though they have neither legislative experience nor legal knowledge, according to the junta’s chief legislator.
On 12 October 2016, Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, President of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), said that the appointment of 33 new NLA members, 26 of them high-ranking military officers, was crucial to the maintenance of peace and order in the country, reported Matichon Online.
In response to public concern that the most of the new law-makers have no legislative experience or legal background, the President said that the NLA needs security officials to properly push the country toward democracy.
Pornpetch added that Thai society has been accustomed to the military so he does not see any problem of having military officers in the law-making body.
“Thai people respect and trust military officers. Therefore, military officers appointed as NLA members can voice local people’s problems in the assembly,” said Pornpetch. “So I beg [people] not to think that the military won’t benefit legislative work.”
The newly-appointed NLA members will take up their positions on 13 October.
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