The bid, by the ruling Pheu Thai and opposition People’s parties, to amend the current Constitution failed today, when the joint sitting of the Senate and House to debate two draft amendment bills collapsed due to the lack of a quorum.
Parliament President Wan Muhamad Noor Matha ordered a head count about two hours after the meeting commenced at 9.30am, to determine whether the meeting had a quorum and could continue.
Only 204 MPs and senators were found to be present in the chamber, which is short of half the total members of the House and the Senate required to make up a quorum.
Wan Muhamad Noor then adjourned the meeting until 9.30am on tomorrow.
The adjournment came after legislators of the two houses engaged in a debate on whether to consider an urgent motion, submitted by a group of about 40 MPs and senators led by Senator Premsak Piayura, seeking a Constitutional Court ruling on whether a referendum should be held to before the charter is actually amended.
A total of 275 senators and MPs disagreed with Premsak’s motion, against 247 who were in favour of considering the motion ahead of the full debate on charter amendment.
Most of the People’s party MPs voted against the motion, while all Pheu Thai MPs, except 12, voted in favour.
20 MPs from the United Thai Nation voted along with the Pheu Thai MPs, but 16 abstained. 16 Democrats also voted along the line of Pheu Thai party, while nine abstained. All the Prachachart MPs, except Wan and another MP, voted along the Pheu Thai line.
All Bhumjaithai MPs had walked out, except one, Ekkarat Changlao, who voted in support of considering the motion.
136 senators voted against Premsak’s motion.
The debate on the two proposed charter amendment bills was yet to commence when the meeting was adjourned. Pheu Thai party-list MP Sutin Klungsang later told the media that the party realised yesterday that there would be a very slim chance that the two bills would get through parliament if the party pressed ahead with the debate today.
To keep attempts to amend the charter alive, he said the party has decided to seek a Constitutional Court ruling first, adding that he is not sure whether the meeting t can resume tomorrow.
