Village heads can serve till 60
The Cabinet yesterday approved a bill proposed by the Interior Ministry to let village heads and kamnan serve until retirement at the age of 60, instead of only for five years, and change their status from local politicians to civil servants.
They would be selected as officials by their governor from a shortlist drawn up by citizens, but subject to dismissal if they failed to pass performance evaluations every five years or were voted out by half of their constituency. The ministry said the move was needed because the five-year term was too short to ensure efficient public service, especially in areas where national security was a concern. Holding elections for 7,419 kamnan, excluding the 154 in Bangkok, and more than 70,000 village heads every five years costs a lot of money. Many Cabinet members discussed the draft law and eventually went along with the ministry's argument that career village heads and kamnan would act as a counterbalance to the elected members of provincial administration organisations and tambon administration organisations.
Piyanart Srivalo The Nation
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