Thailand: Pheu Thai urges partial amendment

• Calls are growing for parliament to amend the constitution on a chapter-to-chapter basis, with opposition lawmakers urging the House to avoid getting bogged down on contentious issues which hinder the charter amendment process.
• At least three government coalition parties are expected to team up to seek section-by-section charter amendments when parliament convenes during its new session on 7 Apr 21.
• Democrat leader Jurin Laksanawisit said his party has reached out to coalition partners — the Bhumjaithai and Chartthaipattana Parties — to renew their charter rewrite bid.
• Pheu Thai MP for Bangkok, Anudit Nakhonthap, on 21 Mar 21 said the government, opposition and Senate should select issues which they can agree on to kickstart the proceedings.
• Group Captain Anudit said as many stakeholders are leaning towards a chapter-by-chapter approach, MPs and senators should find the time to sit down and discuss the sections which they want to see amended.
• Gp Capt Anudit said the charter amendment process should not be derailed, as the country will be trapped in a never-ending political conflict.
• He said this time around, the Democrat Party will seek to amend the constitution section-by-section and that the party’s legal team is now working on charter amendment motions.
• Mr Jurin said each motion is strictly dedicated to one section to be revised instead of bundling several sections into one motion. If the motion is shot down, all the proposals are dropped.
• Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam expressed support for this approach, saying the process would not be complicated if the targeted sections do not require a referendum to be amended.
• “Amending the charter section-by-section is less time-consuming. If they can agree on the issues to be revised and leave the contentious ones alone for now, it is a good approach,” he said.
• Meanwhile, Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) deputy leader, Paiboon Nititawan said the party has listed 10 sections which it wants revised, and which it plans to forward to Pheu Thai and the Senate.
• While he declined to disclose the details, he said none of these involve Section 256, and as such, they do not require a national referendum.
• However, Somkid Chuekong, Pheu Thai MP for Ubon Ratchathani, scorned Mr Paiboon’s plan, calling instead on the PPRP MP to discuss the issue with its coalition partners first.

External Link : https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2087327/pheu-thai-urges-partial-amendment

External Link : https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2087023/coalition-parties-to-seek-charter-amendments-section-by-section