Meechai Ruchuphan reports for work at the National Legislative Assembly at the Parliament yesterday. He shrugged off mounting pressure to stay out of the race for the assembly speaker’s seat.

Meechai Ruchu-phan has a blemished record and should resign his seat in the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) instead of joining the race to become its speaker, a former senator said yesterday.

"When Meechai was Senate speaker in 2000, he counter-signed a royal command on April 14, even though his term had expired on March 31," Pratin Santiprapop said.

Pratin said he had just learned about Meechai's alleged misconduct. The royal command in question concerned the appointment of the 10-member Audit Commission, he said.

But Meechai said his opponents were trying to frame him with a false charge. "I am surprised that some people are willing to act beyond reason in order to oppose me," he said.

He reported for work as an NLA member at the Parliament building yesterday and insisted on his qualifications for the speakership. He said NLA members were all adults who could decide for themselves without being prodded by pressure groups.

NLA member Bowornsak Uwanno said he also had forgiven all critics who opposed his appointment. "I have been appointed to the job by royal command and am determined to work and abide by the teachings of revered monk Buddhadassa Bhikku," he said.

Bowornsak was reacting to criticism of his legal services for the Thaksin Shinawatra government.

Meanwhile, the Black May Victims' Relatives Group issued a statement demanding the NLA heed public sentiment. The group, an advocacy body formed after the bloody military crackdown in May 1992, said the NLA should not elect a leader with a tainted image.

It also called on the Council for National Security (CNS) to quell lingering doubts that it would try to cling to power.

"To demonstrate its sincerity and conciliation, the CNS should promptly cancel martial law," it said.

Rosana Tositrakul, an anti-corruption activist, said the interim charter written by Meechai gave him a chance to be chairman of the National People's Assembly and the constitution-drafting assembly. "He has schemed up to make himself available for three important positions.

She called on Meechai to step down unconditionally from the NLA, given his record of producing "double standard" legal work.

"How can we expect the NLA to promulgate a good constitution with a man with no ethics and principles on good governance serving as the speaker?" she said.

Rosana also called on Bowornsak and former deputy prime minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, another NLA member, to resign, saying that both men had no stance and credibility.

Leaflets calling for the resignation of Chamlong Srimuang and Samran Rodphet, close allies to the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy, from the Assembly were distributed to reporters at the Parliament House yesterday. The papers had the name of Prachakorn Thai Party executive and spokesman Sonthiya Sawasdee as the one demanding they quit.

The papers claimed Chamlong and Samran only cared for their benefit in their campaign against the Thaksin government, and should be responsible for acts "undermining democracy" after the September 19 coup took place.

In a related development, the Council for National Security (CNS) yesterday appointed the committee to oversee the National People's Assembly. Air Force Commander-in-Chief ACM Chalit Pookphasuk, the deputy leader of the CNS, will be its chairman.

The 17-member committee appointed by CNS leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin will supervise the selection of 2,000 members of the National People's Assembly, who will vote among themselves for 200 candidates - 100 of which will be picked by the CNS to be the Constitution Drafting Assembly.

Ex-officio members on the panel are the permanent secretary for Finance, the permanent secretary for Social Development and Human Security, the permanent secretary for Interior, the permanent secretary for Labour, the permanent secretary for Culture, the secretary-general of the House of Representatives, the secretary-general of the Office for National Economic and Social Development, and the secretary-general of the Higher Education Commission.

Other committee members are Dej-udom Krairit, Kamolpan Cheewapansri, Amnart

Son-imsart, Prof Dr Amara Pongsapitch, Somchart Lekhalawan, Supoj Khaimook, Sutthinee Methiprapha and Chavalit Muennuch.

The director of Thammasat University's Law Centre Banjerd Singkaneti said the CNS and the government appeared to have distanced themselves from the people.

The CNS-appointed National Legislative Assembly (NLA) had too few representatives from the civic sector.

And, the news reports of bloc voting for Meechai Ruchuphan as the NLA Speaker could cause people to distrust CNS and the government, he said.

"We have to wait and see the CNS's roles afterwards, the forming of the Constitution Drafting Assembly, and whether it will truly be a draft for political reform.

"Did the CNS seize power for such reform - or just to change the military reshuffle lists? If the Constitution drafting fails, the chair of the Constitution Drafting Assembly and the CNS chairman have to be responsible," he said.

Banjerd said he had research ready to propose to the public on November 5. If the Constitution draft did not appear to be going well, he and his group would also draft a version and open it for the widest people's participation.

Banjerd's research is on political reform: a study case of political institutions and Constitutional independent organisations.

Prapasri Osathanon,

Sathien Viriyapanpongsa

The Nation