Bangkok: "Jaturong" advises the government to show sincerity in supporting constitutional amendments to reduce accusations that the amendment is merely a condition for forming a government. Chaturon advises the government to demonstrate sincerity in supporting constitutional amendments to reduce accusations that the amendments are merely conditions for forming a government. He points out that the 2017 Constitution links economic problems across the entire system and that it must be amended concurrently with the country's crises.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Chaturon Chaisang, a Pheu Thai Party list MP, debated in the joint parliamentary session to consider urgent matters, specifically regarding the approval of draft laws that had not yet been approved by Parliament and were not yet finalized, as per Article 147, paragraph two of the Constitution. He stated that the February 8th referendum showed 21.6 million votes in favor of drafting a new constitution, yet one of the drafts rejected by the Cabinet was the constitutional amendment draft. The Prime Minister's explanation was that this was not policy but a public order. If he believes this issue is truly more significant than policy, he must clearly explain how the government and the Prime Minister will proceed, instead of leaving society in doubt. He also noted that the Bhumjaithai Party's insistence on considering the constitutional amendment draft on May 19th reflects a sense of responsibility towards the process that all parties have jointly championed. He observed that if t he constitutional drafting process is overly focused on concerns about conflict or if it imposes conditions requiring a draft acceptable to all parties, the country may not receive a new constitution that is both substantive and democratic.
Mr. Chaturon said that the opinion that the constitutional amendment should be postponed and economic issues should be addressed first is, in his view, a flawed logic. Amending Article 256 of the Constitution to pave the way for a new constitution would not waste the executive branch's time solving national problems or economic issues. He explained that constitutional amendment is inseparable from the crisis facing the country. Solving economic problems alone is insufficient without addressing the entire economic system. Therefore, to tackle both the crisis and economic problems, a new constitution is necessary. Many problems are linked to the structures established by the 2017 Constitution, including a weak rule of law system, independent organizations with high powers but difficult scrutiny, an ineffective anti-corruption system, and the 20-year national strategy that limits national restructuring. These issues affect confidence, investment, and the country's ability to cope with the overall economic crisis .
'Therefore, I want the Prime Minister to clearly state his position that amending the constitution does not need to wait for other issues to be resolved first, but must proceed quickly, seriously, and with cooperation from all parties. The previous parliament considered the constitutional amendment draft very quickly. This time, it must demonstrate a continued intention and sincerity in amending the constitution and a willingness to draft a new constitution. Otherwise, there may be accusations that the speed shown previously was merely a condition to form a government. I also urge the Prime Minister, both as the leader of the political party and as the leader of the government, to declare to parliament his full support for the constitutional amendment process. This will alleviate any suspicion and prevent accusations against the government and the Prime Minister, as well as maintain public hope regarding the 21.6 million referendum votes,' Mr. Chaturon said.