BANGKOK, March 20 – Three bills seeking to amend Thailand’s constitution by section were officially submitted to the speaker of the Parliament today.
Somsak Kiatsuranont received the three bills from Nonthaburi Senator Direk Thuengfang, Suphan Buri Senator Prasit Potasuthon and Nonthaburi MP Udomdej Ratanasathien.
Mr Direk’s group comprising 248 members of the Lower House and 60 senators proposed amending Sections 237 and 68 on the dissolution of political parties and revocation of party executives’ rights to contest elections after being found guilty of electoral fraud.
The second group, 248 MPs and 62 senators, requested a revision of Section 190 which requires parliamentary approval for Thailand’s agreements with other countries or international organisations.
They said the stipulation has obstructed the government’s international agreements and put the country in a disadvantaged position.
The third bill, jointly signed by 248 MPs and 55 senators, proposed a review and rewriting of Sections 111, 112, 115, 117, 118, 120 and 241, and abolishing Sections 113 and 114 altogether.
Their rewritten version calls for the elections of all 200 senators and allowing elected members of the Upper House to serve more than one political term.
The present Upper House comprises both appointed and elected senators.
Parliament Speaker Somsak said he would check the authenticity of the bills before putting them on the parliamentary agenda in seven days.
Asked if the bills were a quid pro quo between members of the Lower House and the Upper House, Mr Somsak said it depended upon one’s perspective towards the issue but conclusions are up to parliamentarians.
He said he did not know if former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was behind the moves on amending the constitution, but said he did not believe the issue will heat up the country’s political temperature.
“They meant to solve immediate problems and amend only few sections. I assure that the bill to amend Section 291 which is pending the third reading will not be included in this debate. They are separate issues,” he said.
The highly-criticised bill to amend Section 291, which was sponsored by the government and passed both first and second parliamentary readings, calls for the establishment of a charter drafting assembly to write a new charter.
