Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew said on Tuesday the party’s joint statement with Move Forward supporting a legislative pardon for people prosecuted for expressing political opinions and amending the laws on the armed forces and national security was not binding on the six other members of the coalition.
The joint commitment was made by Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat and Dr Cholnan on Monday night when announcing their agreement to nominate Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, the Prachachart Party leader, for the post of House speaker.
In the statement, the two parties said they would propose draft legislation to pardon people prosecuted for expressing their political opinions and to amend laws concerning the armed forces and national security, including martial law and the operation of the Internal Security Operations Command.
However, Pheu Thai list MP Sutin Khlangsaeng said he was puzzled by the joint statement. He said Pheu Thai had shown a clear stance on these issues and they were not included in the memorandum of understanding signed by the eight allied parties.
Dr Cholnan said on Tuesday he wanted to make it clear that the statement was not binding on the six other parties, just Pheu Thai and Move Forward.
Asked about amending Section 112 of the Criminal Code, known as the lese majeste law, Dr Cholnan said this was not mentioned in the statement.
Dr Chonan said proposed changes to the armed forces and internal security would be made through the parliamentary process. Whether they were passed into law rested with the parliament.
Asked whether the pardon would cover members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) and People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), Dr Cholnan said it would be only for people prosecuted in political cases. He said the matter would be carefully handled.
Senator Seri Suwanphanon, chairman of the senate committee on political development and public participation, said senators had no objection to pardoning young people indicted for expressing political opinions.
But senators would certainly oppose any move to amend Section 112, he said.
Senator Somchai Sawaengkarn said it was not yet clear whether the proposed pardon would also cover those indicted in politically related corruption cases.
Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said the Move Forward and Pheu Thai parties could table bills to amend the laws on the armed forces and national security, but this was more easily said than done because the bills must also be scrutinised by the Senate.