Three-Party Whip Decides Timeline for Establishing Constitutional Drafting Assembly - 'Move Forward' Party Addresses Opposition Disunity, Seeks 50,000 Signatures for Proposal

The three-party whip has set the timeline for the constitutional amendment proposal, starting with the first agenda on September 23. The general debate on the government will not involve a vote on September 9. Meanwhile, the 'Move Forward' party has announced its stance to shut down the Senate and opposes the Constitutional Drafting Assembly's closure on sections 1-2, addressing the issue of disunity within the opposition, while aiming to collect 50,000 public signatures. The Prime Minister has warned that political rivalry could lead to national collapse.

In the latest developments regarding the consideration of the constitutional amendment proposal by the House of Representatives, clarity has emerged from the three-party whip. Dr. Cholnan Srikaew, a Member of Parliament from Nan and Deputy Chairman of the Opposition Whip, announced the results of the joint meeting of the three-party whip regarding the parliamentary session in September 2020. This month, before the parliament session closes, there will be agendas for both the House of Representatives and the joint parliamentary meeting.

The schedule is as follows: On September 1, a joint parliamentary meeting will consider three bills related to national reform. On September 9, the House of Representatives will hold a general debate without a vote according to Article 152 of the Constitution, where the Cabinet will participate to listen and provide opinions. On September 10, the House will consider the report from the committee studying methods for amending the Constitution, chaired by Mr. Pheeraphan Salirathwipak. From September 16-18, the House will consider the draft budget bill for the fiscal year 2021, which will be submitted to the parliament on September 21-22.

Then, on September 23-24, there will be a joint parliamentary meeting to consider all draft constitutional amendments in the first agenda for principle acceptance.

"The draft constitutional amendments currently in parliament share the same principle: the establishment of a Constitutional Drafting Assembly. However, they differ in details, such as the opposition's proposal for the assembly members to be elected, while the ruling coalition proposes that some members be elected. In today's joint meeting of the three-party whip, no conclusion was reached on how the Senate and each party will vote on the principle of the proposed constitutional draft, as the three parties only discussed the agenda inclusion. The voting process will need to be debated in the parliamentary meeting first," Dr. Cholnan stated.

'Move Forward' Moves to Shut Down the Senate

Regarding the activities of the Move Forward Party, Mr. Chaitawat Tulathon, Secretary-General of the Move Forward Party, along with party MPs, reiterated their intention to propose an amendment to the 2017 Constitution to abolish the transitional provisions in Articles 269 to 272 concerning the Senate appointed by the NCPO and the power to select the Prime Minister. He stated that today the Move Forward Party wishes to announce its stance and proposals for amending the Constitution in the current situation as follows:

Firstly, the Move Forward Party remains committed to pushing for a new constitution draft through a directly elected Constitutional Drafting Assembly, aiming to create a completely new constitution without restrictions on which sections can be amended.

On this issue, the Move Forward Party has proposed in meetings at the leadership level of the opposition parties several times over the past month to avoid restricting the Constitutional Drafting Assembly from amending sections 1 and 2. However, when the majority of the opposition parties disagreed, the Move Forward Party decided to withdraw its name from the proposal to reserve its opinion on this matter.

When the proposal for establishing the Constitutional Drafting Assembly is submitted for consideration by the parliament, the Move Forward Party will vote in support during the first agenda and will seek to amend it in the second agenda to ensure that the assembly can embrace the will of all citizens. Subsequently, the Move Forward Party will propose an amendment to shut down the Senate without waiting for the assembly to take action.

It is emphasized that the strong momentum for constitutional amendment is not due to the government's or the Senate's consent but arises from the demands of students and citizens nationwide. Many senators have now acknowledged the need to relinquish their power to select the Prime Minister to prevent Thai politics from reaching a deadlock.

Countering the Push for 50,000 Signatures for Constitutional Amendment

Mr. Theerachai Panthumart, a list MP from the Move Forward Party, commented on the case where the Pheu Thai Party did not support the Move Forward Party's constitutional amendment draft due to its approach to amending Articles 269-272 regarding shutting down the Senate. He stated that if the Pheu Thai Party does not support it, the Move Forward Party may change its strategy to collect 50,000 public signatures to propose a constitutional amendment instead.

"Sometimes, we must use external pressure to drive change in the Senate's power effectively. Regarding the joint parliamentary meeting to amend the Constitution, the Move Forward Party will continue to seek discussions to amend the Constitution according to the party's approach," Mr. Theerachai stated.

Prime Minister Urges to Stop Political Rivalry

In response to criticisms labeling him a dictator, Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha stated that he endures for the nation and the people. He urged those who view him as a dictator to reflect on their perspectives, expressing that he does not wish to revisit past grievances.

"Thailand is a democracy with its own form; we are not deviating from others. Why should we conform completely? Where has our Thai identity gone? If political rivalry continues, I believe the nation will collapse. If that happens, just wait and see, and everyone will have to live in a land that is hot and on fire. I am doing my utmost with my intellect," he said.

'Prawit' Declares No Dissolution of Parliament

Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan addressed rumors regarding the potential dissolution of parliament after the budget bill for 2021 is completed, stating to ask those who spread the news. As the leader of the Palang Pracharat Party, he sees no possibility of this happening.

When asked if there would be a need to dissolve parliament if the protests escalated, Gen. Prawit declined to answer. When pressed about preparations for a potential new election, he simply stated that discussions and proper management of the student protests are necessary, and he does not know if it will escalate into violence.

Democrat Party Supports Reducing Senate Power

Mr. Jurin Laksanawisit, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, as the leader of the Democrat Party, stated that the party's stance on amending the Constitution has been clear from the beginning: they do not accept the 2017 Constitution draft and have made it a condition for joining the government to include it as a government policy. They clearly believe that the Constitution should be amended, at least Article 256, and they were the first party to raise this issue, advocating for a Constitutional Drafting Assembly to draft a new constitution without touching sections 1 and 2. They are ready to support any measures that lead to greater democracy, such as allowing two ballots to reflect the people's will more clearly.

Regarding the Senate, they maintain that it is still necessary in the parliamentary system and have consistently supported a bicameral system, but the roles and powers should be appropriately limited to law scrutiny and government oversight.

When asked if the Senate's power to select the Prime Minister should be reduced, Mr. Jurin stated that they support the Senate's role in law scrutiny and government oversight, but any powers beyond necessity should be reviewed. Currently, they have assigned the Democrat Party whip to draft amendments in collaboration with the government whip, which is underway to ensure acceptance from all coalition parties.

SOURCE : www.bangkokbiznews.com