Democrats battle to delay charter meeting
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House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont says he worked through Chakri Day to put the charter amendment on the agenda as time was running out before scheduled study trips abroad by MPs and senators.
“On the April 6 holiday, I allowed [parliamentary] officials to work, and I worked that day myself, because many MPs and senators told me they had scheduled study trips abroad.
I told them the trips should be in May, and that in April meeting time [to debate the amendment] might be extended. There will be discussion on many issues, including the charter [amendment].
After the second reading, there needs to be a 15-day break and [the third reading] should be finished in late April. The trips should be in May, that’s why I sacrificed my holiday to work and allowed the officials to work to meet the schedule so it does not affect the MPs and senators who came to discuss it with me,” Somsak said.
The Democrats have attacked Somsak for rushing through the charter amendment by asking parliamentary officials to work over the holiday to set up today’s charter amendment meeting.
Democrat MP Sutas Ngernmune said that politicians were placing personal benefit above the public benefit in taking study trips, as they are partly pleasure tours. Somsak responded: “Study trips abroad provide [politicians with] different views. Personally, I think they are useful so I approved the trips. But if you think they are not useful, say it, I will cut the budget.”
Yesterday was the first day of debate on the second reading of the draft on amending the constitution. A joint meeting of the two houses of parliament considered the charter change draft vetted by the ad hoc charter amendment committee panel.
The panel worked on changes to Article 291 of the current charter to allow establishment of Constitution Drafting Assembly to write a new charter.
The Democrats battled hard to delay the meeting, accusing the government of rushing the issue despite the panel’s report being incomplete and the panel having at times lacked a quorum.
Two breaks were called within two hours of the meeting getting underway. The first break came after Democrat MP Boonyod Suktinthai proposed a postponement. That prompted Somsak to pause for more parliamentarians to attend the meeting, before eventually calling a break.
The second break came after Democrat party-list MP Watchara Petchthong challenged Nakhon Pathom Senator Somchat Pannapat that the panel’s quorum had not been met when he, Watchara, was proposing ideas to the panel.
Watchara claimed that only three people had attended the panel meeting in question, which was chaired by Somchat. In response, Somchat said the quorum was met at all times, though members often took short breaks to eat, visit the toilet or relax as they could not sit still for the whole three hours.
Democrat MP Thana Cheeravinij said the panel’s report to be considered yesterday morning was available to lawmakers from about 5pm the previous day. Meanwhile, Democrat strategist Kanok Wongtrangarn said his comments to the panel were given before only 10 panel members and were now missing from the report.
Democrat MP Sutas Ngernmune said several groups had proposed versions of the charter amendment and that despite the law requiring Parliament to seek their comments before a second reading, no such move had been taken.
Pheu Thai MP Samart Kaewmeechai, chairman of the panel on charter change deliberation, said the panel had omitted the groups’ draft proposals, as verification of their signatories was ongoing. He said that the panel had invited representatives of the groups and academics to give comments in March.
