Policy priorities include referendum on new charter, land title deed distribution and Marriage Equality Bill
The Move Forward Party (MFP) on Thursday revealed a roadmap for its first 100 days in office, outlining how it will form the next government and make good on its 300 campaign promises.
Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat said the roadmap contained the policy priorities to be implemented within the 100-day time frame. Other policies would be progressively implemented within the first year of government.
Details of all 300 of the party’s policies can be found (in Thai) on its Facebook page.
Mr Pita promised that within its first 100 days in office, a Move Forward-led government would exercise executive power to push for a referendum to pave the way for the constitution to be rewritten by a drafting assembly made up of elected members.
He said the party would also propose that the cabinet seek an immediate resumption of deliberation of the contentious Marriage Equality Bill, currently on the back burner.
Pending legal cases of a political nature will be reviewed, he said, while an amnesty law will be proposed to absolve those being prosecuted or who had been prosecuted in such cases in the past.
In addition, new rules and ministerial regulations will be issued, while some existing ones will be abolished to reform the entire bureaucratic system to improve transparency.
Specifically, many regulations enforced by the Interior Ministry deemed to hold back the progress of local administrative organisations and keep them from achieving administrative independence will be cancelled, said Mr Pita.
Other priority tasks include pushing to enact the party’s progressive liquor bill, which was shot down in its second and third readings in the House last year. The bill sought to amend the Excise Tax Act, with supporters claiming it would break the monopoly held by a handful of corporate distillers and brewers and allow small-scale producers to enter the market.
Other urgent policies would extend to the distribution of title deeds covering 6.5 million rai of land to people in cooperatives and self-established settlements.
As well, the party will introduce “net metering”, an electricity billing tool that uses the grid to “store” excess energy produced by home solar panel systems. Under the policy, energy produced by household solar panels and left unused will be credited back to the household.
Mr Pita said the party has prepared 45 draft laws to be put to parliament if and when it gets to work as the government.
As well, he said, the party stands ready to pass legislation to scrap military conscription and replace it with voluntary enlistment.
He added that Move Forward would also revive the criminal cases related to the crackdowns on the red-shirt protests in 2010.