Bangkok: The Thai Parliament has overwhelmingly approved a mechanism for drafting a new constitution, passing a resolution with 328 votes in favor. The mechanism includes the formation of a Constitutional Drafting Committee and a Committee for gathering public opinion, both of which will have members selected by Parliament.
According to Thai News Agency, a special joint parliamentary session was held to consider the second reading of the draft amendment to the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand. The session was chaired by Mr. Mongkol Surasajja, President of the Senate and Deputy Speaker of Parliament. The meeting, which lasted nearly three hours, focused primarily on Article 4 of the amendment. The majority committee proposed the establishment of a Constitution Drafting Committee, consisting of 35 members selected by Parliament from a list of nominees using a 20-for-1 formula. A similar Committee for Public Opinion and Participation will also be formed, with 35 members selected through the same method.
The parliamentary session concluded with a vote, resulting in 328 votes in support of the proposed amendments, 266 votes against, and 21 abstentions. The decision reflects the majority opinion of the committee, which emphasizes the importance of structured public consultation and participation in the constitution drafting process.
Following the approval, the process will advance to drafting the subsequent sections, which will elaborate on the origins and responsibilities of both the Constitution Drafting Committee and the Committee for Gathering Public Opinions.