Bangkok: the Anutin government and the issue of constitutional reform
The People's Party has conditioned its support on the rewriting of the rules that led to the judicial liquidation of the election winners. But the Constitutional Court has already intervened, arguing that a referendum is first needed in which the popular vote gives a mandate to begin discussing changes. The assumption is that it will be held together with the general elections promised within four months.
Bangkok (AsiaNews) - A week after the vote in which parliament appointed him - following the forced departure of Paetongtarn Shinawatra, leader of the Pheu Thai party, decreed by the Constitutional Court - the new Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the conservative Bhumjaithai party (BJT), is already grappling with the issue on which the unprecedented alliance with the reformists of the People's Party is based: the question of reforming the Thai constitution.
The People's Party - the result of the transformation imposed on Move Forward, the party that surprisingly won a relative majority in the 2023 elections, only to be immediately hit by a judicial intervention that sidelined its leader Pita Limjaroenrat – has conditioned its support for the Anutin government not only on the calling of new elections within four months, but also on the launch of a constitutional reform that limits the possibility of changing the outcome of the popular vote through the courts.
On this basis, Anutin declared today that the rewriting of the constitution must be accelerated, as parliament has the authority to initiate the drafting of a new constitution. He did so in response to a new ruling by the Constitutional Court on Wednesday, which established that before the process can begin, a public referendum must be held to determine whether the people agree with the drafting of a new constitution and that, once the process is complete, it will still have to be submitted to a further referendum for ratification. The Court also blocked the possibility of directly electing the members of a Constituent Assembly.
In light of all this, Anutin reiterated that the constitutional amendment process is the responsibility of parliament, but also that he will honour his commitment to the People's Party to hold new elections within four months. If the process cannot be completed in time, he added, it will have to be put on hold. The House will then be dissolved, followed by general elections. He added that all parties will then have to explain clearly to the public how they intend to amend the constitution.
For his part, Parit Wacharasindhu, spokesperson for the People's Party, said that after talks with the Bumjaithai party and also with Pheu Thai, the Shinawatra family's party, all three agreed to proceed with the drafting of a new constitution through two referendums. Parliament would immediately amend Chapter 15/1, which concerns the mechanism for drafting the constitution, followed by the first referendum to ask whether a new constitution should be written and whether to approve the amendment. A second referendum would approve the final draft. Parit said that the timing would allow the first referendum to coincide with the general election, scheduled within four months. The Electoral Commission also agreed on the possibility of combining the first referendum with the vote for the new parliament.
Now, therefore, it will be up to the various political forces to reveal their cards on what changes they intend to make to the country's institutional structure. This includes the issue of the notorious “lese majesty” law, which has often been used in recent years by the elite and the military to crush their political opponents. Thaksin Shinawatra himself, who was sent back to prison in recent days due to the suspension of the “benefits” on his previous convictions granted upon his return to Thailand last year, is awaiting retrial on this charge.
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11/09/2024 15:04
