Disabling Future Political Tensions: Government Camp Calls For Approval From The Senate To Change The Charter

The coalition government asked for senators’ approval for their controversial charter changes to defuse future political tensions.

Government chief whip Wirat Rattanaset and MP Supachai Chaisamut of the Bhumjaithai Party stressed the need to change the constitution by setting up a new team of charter authors as a way out of the fragmentation of the country’s political dispute. Mr Wirat, a Palang Pracharath MP, said the backing of the Senate was necessary in order to pass the first reading of the government-sponsored bill.

The government wing’s two major MPs made it known that the alliance wanted the first two chapters of the constitution left unchanged. Chapter 1 on general provisions and Chapter 2 on the monarchy must not be changed by the alteration of the Charter, Mr. Supachai said during the joint session of Parliament.

The power and position of the monarch are mentioned in part of the first chapter and the entire second chapter of the constitution. In accordance with calls from student-led demonstrations for abolition of the monarchy, the Move Forward Party advocates the incorporation of the two chapters in the proposed revision.

The reform of the first two chapters will establish a constitutional monarchy that would remain at the heart of the nation with no interference in politics, Move Forward chief Pita Limjaroenrat said. One of the six charter reform drafts being discussed before the joint session votes on Thursday is the government-sponsored measure. The other iterations had the support of the opposition. In a fresh congress of poets, or just certain parts, they call for the reform of the whole charter.

In fact, one of the contentious topics advocated by the opposition camp is to bring an end to the involvement of the Senate, along with the House of Representatives, in engaging in voting for a new prime minister. This is a decision for MPs alone to decide, the opposition insists.

It’s not a easy matter to drive a charter amendment bill into the first reading. It wants the Senate’s presence. A plurality vote in a joint session, with the support of one-third of the upper house or 84 senators, is provided by the new constitution.

Many senators have resisted the opposition ‘s attempts to “turn off” their job, calling the effort to revoke the current constitution a violation of the majority who voted in the referendum for it. On Thursday, opposition leaders called for a rally outside parliament to bring pressure on politicians to endorse changes to the charter.

Related Article: https://www.theasianaffairs.com/thailand/2020/09/15/to-the-new-changes-charter-bills-in-opposition-hit-hurdle/