Junior parties file charter change motion

03/02/2010

Bangkok Post

The five junior coalition government parties officially submitted their constitutional amendment motion to Parliament President Chai Chidchob on Wednesday.
The motion, signed by 102 MPs, seeks to amend Section 94 to change the voting system from multi-MP to single-MP constituencies and Section 190 which requires the government to receive prior parilamentary approval for international agreements.

The five parties are Bhumjaithai, Chart Thai Pattana, Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana, Puea Pandin and Social Action.The motion is accompanied by draft legislation prepared by the five parties.

Mr Chai said he would forward the motion to the Secretariat of the House of Representatives for verification.

If the motion is verified, the amendment bill would be put on the House agenda for further deliberation in the first reading.Deputy Prime Minister and Chart Thai Pattana chief adviser Sanan Kachornprasart said he still hopes that more MPs from the opposition Puea Thai Party and the prime minister's Democrat Party will decide to support the charter amendment bill.The Puea Thai and Democrat parties have resolved not to co-sign the motion.

While Puea Thai Party wants a return to the 1997 charter, the Democrat Party is happy with the status quo.Maj-Gen Sanan said many Puea Thai MPs also preferred single-MP to multi-MP constituencies."Many Democrat MPs, too, hold the same opinion, but they have to follow the party's resolution [against single-MP constituencies].
"However, there is still time for a rethink. The Democrat Party may review its resolution and when the time comes they may vote for the amendment legislation," he said.

Maj-Gen Sanan said he had not yet had talks with senators but believed many of them also supported the coalition parties' amendment motion.At least half of the 624 members of both chambers are required to pass the motion at its first reading.