Critics have slammed Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit for seeking charter amendments to scrap the positions of provincial governor, district chief as well as tambon and village heads.
The group posted on Facebook a media interview in which Mr Thanathorn discussed a proposal that aims to end what he called state centralisation.
He said that elections of provincial governors do not guarantee that the centralised system will end because as long as provincial governors report to the Interior Ministry, decisions on local matters will still be made in a top-down manner.
Mr Thanathorn also said that provincial governors, who are appointed officials, are in fact more powerful than elected chairmen of the provincial administrative organisations (PAO).
"This shows the central government has no trust in people.
"This form of government is not designed to support people to achieve their full potential, but to rule and control," he said.
The Progressive Movement leader also called for an end to the position of provincial governor, which he described as an arm of the central government.
Instead, such power must be handed over to elected PAO chairmen with authority to handle management of local resources and taxation, Mr Thanathorn said.
He also proposed scrapping the positions of district chief, tambon chief (kamnan) and village heads because there are already mayors and chiefs of tambon administrative organisations (TAO) carrying out the work, and that what they need is more power, personnel and budget.
"The Progressive Movement has launched a campaign to invite the public to sign a petition to amend the constitution's Chapter 14 related to local administration," he said.
Yongyot Kaewkeao, president of the kamnan and village chiefs association of Thailand, dismissed Mr Thanathorn's proposal as impractical. "His idea may appeal to candidates who lost in elections of kamnan and village chiefs and who now want the positions to be scrapped," Mr Yongyot said.
He said PAOs and TAOs are responsible for infrastructure and public utility development, while kamnan and village heads keep peace and order and enforce the law while also gathering local feedback.
Moreover, elected PAO and TAO chiefs have political affiliations, making it hard for them to maintain neutrality when dealing with local problems, Mr Yongyot said.
