Interior Minister Aree Wongsearaya is at loggerheads with Deputy PM Paiboon Wattanasiritham over the latter's grand plan to set up thousands of new community organisations.

Aree yesterday opposed the Local Community Organi-sation Council bill proposed by Paiboon, saying he feared it would conflict with local administrative bodies and local politics. Aree believed the organisations proposed by Paiboon should be formed naturally.

Paiboon, who is also Social Development and Human Security Minister, and his deputy Poldej Pinpratheep said their bill was part of a strategy for long-term social development. Paiboon has said previously the bill would strengthen communities nationwide. He and his deputy also hinted they may resign if it was rejected.

But Aree said legitimate central, regional and local organisations were already in place for public administration.

Other organisations - in this case local community bodies - would raise questions over who would supervise and run them. If conflicts emerged between the new and established bodies, who would adjudicate?

He feared that if the bill became law, provincial governors would have no authority to intervene.  Aree insisted that his objection did not come from any grudge or previous conflict but from a rational concern for the national benefit. He said the matter must be considered thoroughly and explained to all parties to avoid conflict.

The Interior Minister said he believed such local community organisations could be formed naturally by local people in consultation with established organisations - be they tambon or provincial administration bodies. This method would be smooth and harmonious, as the new organisations would be based on mutual understanding, he said.

Paiboon said he had told the Cabinet on Tuesday the matter was important. It was part of the ministry's strategy to create a strong and virtuous society that did not leave anyone behind.

Society would get stronger, he said, if the foundation was local community bodies. If his bill was not approved it meant a key state policy had failed and ministry executives - in this case himself and his deputy - must be responsible.

Paiboon said the bill, if it became law, would facilitate more than 10,000 community organisations, united to form networks.

These networks would help strengthen local communities through a three-way balance of regional administration, local administration and local community organisation councils.

Paiboon said the Interior Ministry's objection might be based on old information as the draft initially gave power to community leaders to suspend local projects deemed inappropriate.

The new version had been adjusted and such a proposal had been scrapped.

He said he believed the disagreement over the bill could be remedied and he would soon consult with those opposing it.

Deputy minister Poldej echoed Paiboon. He stressed that the bill was strategically important and that good and useful laws would be a platform for long-term social development.

"If we can't implement this key law, there's no use working on strategy and policy making, so we shouldn't remain [in our posts]," he said.