Last week, the Pheu Thai Party’s and the main opposition People’s Party’s ( PP ) bid for a charter rewrite bid attracted new attention.
As commonly speculated, the effort failed to see any improvement made.
Due to a lack of quorum, the joint session of MPs and senators deliberating a proposed change to Section 256 of the 2017 charter to open the way for the creation of a charter drafting assembly ( CDA ) collapsed after two consecutive days.
One of the biggest challenges is getting the current military-sponsored constitution to move, which requires the assistance of one-third of senators.
The other is the strong division in the coalition government that has been the result of an intentional lack of quorum, a tactic that not only prevents complete failure but frequently causes overwhelming delays in an already lengthy process.
Sutin Klungsang, a Pheu Thai MP, acknowledged that the group had a feared that the Constitutional Court’s decision would have rejected its act, so he purposefully halted the meetings to avoid having a vote.
Given these two challenges, the only way to maintain a contract rewrite’s success is with the government sponsoring the bill, which shows the Bhumjaithai Party’s and its “blue party” cooperating with the Senate.
Anutin Charnvirakul, the head of the Bhumjaithai Party, claimed that his party was only adhering to the court’s ruling and not attempting to impede Pheu Thai’s effort to create a new constitution.
The judge ruled in 2021 that the electorate had first elect a new charter through a vote.
Due to a mandated cooling-off time, the election law hasn’t yet been passed.
The ruling party is expected to make an attempt to obtain a new court decision to target constitutional issues, but there is no guarantee that the judge will make a new ruling.
The court rejected a petition in April of last year asking for a decision regarding whether parliament may include a suggested motion for policy amendment on its agenda. The courts claimed they had now rendered a decision on the issue.
The PP and its opponents argue that the law act process should continue without seeking more judicial review, and they point to the time being wasted by filing a new petition.
Social move, or honest push?
Pheu Thai is aware that the contract update strategy is unlikely to succeed and that it is attempting to shift duty to others, especially Bhumjaithai, according to Wanwichit Boonprong, a political science specialist at Rangsit University.
The ruling party has chosen to stall the process in order to keep its support base, particularly those who support a full constitutional reform and avoid falling to the PP, he said.
He claimed that Bhumjaithai and the Senate’s orange sect have been given a political hot potatoes, but added that the coalition partner may have considered the risks and believed that avoiding them is the best course of action.
By refusing to participate, Bhumjaithai has taken the lead in opposing the update approach. The important question is then whether another coalition partners will follow suit.
If they do, Pheu Thai will no longer be able to move the issue on to its allies, and he may have to wait until the following poll, he said.
The fact that the government did not propose the contract rewrite bill reflects persistent disagreements between Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai, who both understand that the chances of the plan passing in a vote are slim.
” Bhumjaithai has read the game well as it is a shift that looks great socially,” Mr Wanwichit said.
Bhumjaithai appears to be in a better place, he said, and a contract update was unlikely to succeed under the Pheu Thai-led state.
Wanwichit: Pheu Thai did go buck
Inexpensive, or humble modify?
Stithorn Thananithichot, director of the Office of Innovation for Democracy at King Prajadhipok’s Institute, said the court may be asked to consider in on whether the article process is legal.
Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether the judge may view the shift as an article or a update, given that the bills, backed by Pheu Thai and the PP, specific Section 256, he said.
” If they are serious about it, they should first seek public endorsement.”
” But now that the bills are on the plan, and if they pass the second reading before a vote is held, there will be issues,” he said.” For example, what happens if the process is currently underway and the public rejects it”? he said.
Another problem, according to Mr. Stithorn, is the Senate, particularly the violet party, which opposes total revision.
He claimed that Pheu Thai’s primary goal in the contract act campaign is not to get a new charter, but rather to loosen the process so the celebration may push for section-by-section changes on the issues it prioritizes.
And even if this bet is unsuccessful, the organization can also tell the electorate that it has done its best while doing little when a Senate is opposed to the alter, he continued.
Because it lacks support from parliament to expand its agenda, according to Mr. Stithorn, a rewrite is likely to take a long time.
The party will inform the electorate that a significant success in the upcoming election will enable the passage of a constitutional amendment, he added.
The chances of a new contract before the upcoming elections are pretty thin unless the state and the Senate come together.
Stithorn: Court to have ultimate suggest
” The reality is the method is getting nothing because the charges seek to suppress the Senate’s capabilities, “he said.