Senator-Led Charter Reform Bill Nears Key Milestone
A significant push to amend the constitution has reached a critical juncture, with a draft amendment to Section 256 of the charter now finalized and being circulated among political parties to secure the necessary parliamentary support. Senator Norasate Prachyakorn announced on Monday that the initiative requires backing from at least one-fifth of parliament, totaling 140 members across both houses, before it can be formally submitted.
Broad Coalition Building Underway
Senator Norasate confirmed that the Democrat Party has already signaled its endorsement, with a substantial majority of its Members of Parliament signing on in support. Discussions are slated for next week with the People’s Party (PP), and preliminary meetings have also been arranged with Pheu Thai to garner their backing. Efforts are also underway to engage Klatham and Bhumjaithai to broaden the coalition of support.
The timeline for collecting the required signatures is tight, with Senator Norasate indicating that clarity on whether enough support can be secured for a late June submission is expected within the coming week. He added that if the current effort falls short, alternative avenues will be explored to present the proposal and its core ideas to the public.
Proposed ‘Citizens’ Participation Council’
At the heart of the draft amendment is the proposed establishment of a 200-member “citizens’ participation council.” All members of this council would be directly elected by the public. This body is envisioned to play a central role in the constitution drafting process. Concurrently, members of a constitution drafting committee would be selected by parliament.
Senator Norasate acknowledged potential concerns regarding the legitimacy and public engagement of drafters appointed by parliament, as opposed to those directly elected. He pointed to an advisory opinion from the Constitutional Court that suggested direct public election of constitution drafters might not be permissible, presenting a legal hurdle for reform efforts.
Under the proposed framework, constitution drafters would be bound to adhere to public consultation outcomes, rather than operating with complete autonomy. The final draft would also necessitate approval from the 200-member citizens’ participation council.
Bhumjaithai Signals Conditional Support
In parallel developments, the Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) has indicated its willingness to offer conditional support for Pheu Thai’s revised amendment proposal. Paradorn Prissananantakul, a minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office and a BJT MP, stated that the party’s stance would hinge on whether the draft aligns with existing legal and constitutional frameworks.
Mr. Paradorn explained that while the party has no inherent objection to supporting the proposal as a coalition partner, BJT has yet to review the revised draft and therefore cannot commit definitively. The party intends to assess the proposal against three key criteria: it must not contravene a Constitutional Court ruling, must not violate the constitution, and must not seek to amend Chapters 1 and 2, which pertain to the general provisions of the state and the monarchy.
“If none of these issues are involved, there is no reason for Bhumjaithai not to support it,” Mr. Paradorn stated, noting that only preliminary details of the proposal have been made public. He also commented on the PP’s draft, suggesting that its allowance for directly elected members to a drafting assembly could potentially conflict with the court’s interpretation regarding the direct election of drafters.
