BANGKOK, Sept 9 (NNN-TNA) – A total of 99 MP’s in Thailand, filed a joint motion for constitution amendment, in a fresh effort, to stop all senators from casting votes for a future prime minister.
76 opposition MP’s and 23 government MP’s lodged the joint bid, to amend the 2017 constitution’s Section 272, under which the 250 senators, handpicked by Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, can take part in the voting, for a post-election prime minister, as they did for the current one, last year.
Yesterday’s charter amendment bid, is primarily meant to deny the legislators in the Senate, such decisive role alongside those in the House of Representatives, in the picking of future head of government.
The 76 lawmakers in the opposition bloc, who signed up for the fresh charter amendment bid, include 54 MP’s of the Move Forward Party, 10 MP’s of the Thai Liberal Party, six of the Prachachat Party, five of the Puea Chat Party and one of the Thai People Power Party.
The 23 legislators of the government parties, include 16 MP’s of the Democrat Party, one of the Bhumjaithai Party, one of the Chartthaipattana Party and those of five splinter parties, each of which only has one MP and is practically viewed as a partner of the coalition government.
Nevertheless, the Pheu Thai Party, the biggest opposition party, declined to join the move and apparently preferred to focus on the planned amendment to the constitution’s Section 256 instead.
A separate motion had earlier been lodged, to amend Section 256, to pave the way for the setting up of the so-called Constitution Drafting Committee, members of which may include some, who might be elected by the people and others who might be named by the prime minister.– NNN-TNA
