Charter change to go ahead without the red shirts
Play
The coalition will push for charter change based on three bills sponsored by Pheu Thai, Chart Thai Pattana and the government, chief coalition whip Udomdej Rattanasatien said on Wednesday.
Udomdej said the charter debate will be activated without waiting for the verification of voters’ signatures solicited by the red shirts to support the other two separate drafts on the issue.
“The checking of signatures will take up to three months and there will be no time to start the amendment process by the current House session,” he said, noting the House will recess in April.
He said the Pheu Thai-sponsored draft was ready for debate within a few weeks and the government draft was to reach the House floor as soon as the completion of the vetting by the Council of State.
Chart Pattana Party’s draft could be completed and submitted in time for the debate, he said, explaining that the first reading of the charter amendment bills should commence by this month if the charter rewrite is to be activated before the House recess.
All drafts have been designed to form the Constitution Drafting Assembly to take charge of amending the charter but varied on the details of the CDA.
