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BKK POST: Anand: Key to recovery
- Subject: BKK POST: Anand: Key to recovery
- From: suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 19:03:00
March 26, 1998
POLITICS
Anand: Key to
recovery is good
governance
Supawadee Susanpoolthong
Good governance is the hope for developing Thailand because
democracy alone is not enough for the country, former prime
minister Anand Panyarachun said yesterday.
Mr Anand, who was also chairman of the Constitution Drafting
Committee, said that it is the concept of good governance that
will turn a new leaf for Thailand because without it the aspirations
of the people cannot be answered and they will still feel society
to be unjust.
He was speaking on the topic of "Good governance and the
future of Thailand" as part of the National Constitution Forum
organised by the National Economic and Social Development
Board, the Thailand Development Research Institute, the Pra
Pokklao Institute and the Parliament Secretariat Office. The
discussion was held at Chulalongkorn University.
Mr Anand said that good governance may be a new concept in
Thailand but it is not new in western societies. The concept arose
out of the struggle between democratic and socialist ideologies
during the cold war.
"Being democratic is not enough in present-day society. In
Asean there is comparison of which country is more dictatorial
and which is more democratic. But what is more important is the
lack of good governance," he said.
Western democratic thinking gives great importance to individual
rights and liberty while eastern thinking, so-called "Asian values",
see these as less important than community interest, he said.
"The choice for the world of the future will have to have both
democracy and good governance. They have to go together," he
said.
The new constitution which he had helped draft is only the
beginning of political reform. It stresses the efficient use of power
by the state, the ability to check this power and having public
participation in the political process.
"It will take a very long time to see results from the constitution
but if we have good governance to go along with democracy the
results will come out immediately," he said.
Good governance, however, will not solve all problems. But
problems that should not happen will not happen. Problems
caused from outside the country also will cause less damage. He
pointed to Mexico being able to come out of an economic crisis
between 1991 and 1994 because they slowly reformed their
system.
"We are now on the right road going in the right direction," he
said.
The Asian Development Bank, he said, defined good
governance as interaction between the state and the private
sector through efficient and standardised arrangements to ensure
the government will achieve what it has promised the people.
His own definition of good governance is:
- Participation of the people in organising and administering the
country. People tend to blame politicians without doing anything
themselves but they will have to take up responsibility for the
country.
- Reformed administration of the state and private sector that will
yield the most benefits to the people.
- Building of communities in the provinces and the distribution of
power and budget. In the past Thai administration has been very
centralised and this was a key weakness of the country. Power
will have to be distributed so that communities in both urban and
rural areas will become strong and act as the root for the building
of good governance.
- Rule of law. The law will have to be used and applied to
everyone equally. The judicial system will have to be
independent and untied to vested interests, power or money.
- A free and responsible mass media.
The National Constitution Forum will organise a total of 10
functions to popularise and build understanding about the
concept of good governance. Speakers being lined up include
Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, House Speaker Wan
Muhammad Nor Matha, Senate Speaker Meechai Ruchupan,
army chief Gen Chettha Thanajaro, Finance Minister Tarrin
Nimmanhaeminda, academic Nithi Ewesiwong, and social critic
Prawase Wasi.
The functions will be held in both Bangkok and the provinces
with the last one scheduled to be held in May.
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Last Modified: Thu, Mar 26, 1998