The opposition Pheu Thai party will submit its draft constitutional amendments bill to parliament this Thursday, Danuporn Punnakan, spokesman for the party, said yesterday.
The proposal outlines the establishment of a Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) consisting of 151 members.
The first 100 members will be selected through a national election of 300 candidates, from which Parliament will then choose 100.
The remaining 51 members will be nominated by Parliament and the Cabinet, ensuring a diverse CDA.
Afterward, a drafting committee (or subcommittee) will be formed. The Pheu Thai Party plans for this committee to have 27 members: 14 from the CDA, and 13 from various fields of expertise, including law and political science.
Once the draft amendments are completed, they will be submitted to Parliament for approval, and then proceed to a public referendum.
Danuporn insisted that his party’s model is connected with the people, so that they are involved in the drafting process.
Meanwhile, the Bhumjaithai party is scheduled to submit its draft charter amendments bill to parliament today.
The party spokesperson, Nan Boonthida Somchai, said that their model is in line with the Constitutional Court’s ruling, that the parliament cannot allow the people to directly elect their representatives to draft a new charter. She did not elaborate.
She did, however, say that the party will consult House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Martha tomorrow, to set the date for the prime minister to deliver the government’s policy statement to parliament.
The People’s party has already submitted its draft charter bill to parliament.
