The Bhumjaithai party has decided not to take part in the attempt by the Pheu Thai and People’s parties to amend Section 256 of the Constitution and to insert a new chapter 15/1, to pave the way for a charter drafting assembly to write a new constitution.
Two draft charter amendment bills, one proposed by the ruling Pheu Thai party and the other by the opposition People’s party, are due to be debated in a joint sitting of parliament today and tomorrow.
After Parliament President Wan Muhamad Noor Maha announced the opening of the session this morning, Bhumjaithai Party Secretary-General Chaichanok Chidchob took to the floor to declare the party’s disagreement with the proposed charter amendments, claiming that they contravene the 2021 ruling by the Constitutional Court.
As such, he said that the party could not participate in the debate on constitutional amendments today and tomorrow and led his party members from the chamber.
Yesterday, Bhumjaithai party leader Anutin Charnvirakul, who is also a deputy prime minister and the interior minister, said that the party disagrees with amending Article 256, because doing so would contravene the Constitutional Court ruling, which states that a referendum must be held first, to gauge public opinion as to whether they want the existing charter to be amended.
Since one of the drafts was proposed by the Pheu Thai party, and there is no resolution from their coalition partners on the matter, he said that the bill concerns only the Pheu Thai party and has nothing to do with the government as a whole.
Anutin insisted that the Bhumjaithai party is not trying to obstruct the Pheu Thai party’s bid to write a new charter, but is merely following the court’s ruling.
He said that he has already informed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Prime Minister’s Office Minister Chusak Sirinil, chief legal advisor of the party, about his party’s position on amendment of the Constitution.
After the walkout by Bhumjaithai MPs, Wan Muhamad Noor asked parliament to vote on an urgent motion, submitted by Senator Premsak Piayura and seconded by over 40 legislators, to seek a Constitutional Court ruling on the issue of a referendum.
The parliamentary debate on a proposed constitutional amendment, scheduled for today and tomorrow, is likely to hit a snag after a group of senators submitted an urgent motion to Parliament President Wan Muhamad Noor Matha.
The motion demands that parliament seek a Constitutional Court ruling, before the debate, as to whether a referendum should be held to seek public consent to amendment of the current charter.
The motion, initiated by Senator Premsak Piayura, was seconded by more than 40 MPs and senators.
Before the debate this morning, Premsak told the media that he and a number of legislators, from both sides of the House, feel strongly that the attempt by the Pheu Thai and People’s parties to amend Section 256 of the current charter and to insert a new chapter 15/1 (regarding the qualifications of political office holders), has skipped an important step, which is the referendum.
He noted that opinions are split among legislators as to whether there should be a referendum before the charter is amended and how many times a referendum should be held during the process, adding that this conflict of opinions must be resolved by the Constitutional Court.
Premsak insists that the urgent motion is not an attempt to block constitutional amendments or the writing of a new charter, but is intended to ensure everything is in accordance with procedure, to prevent problems in the future.
