House speaker pushes for TV coverage of charter-change debate

“I think the deliberation is important and should be broadcast,” he said.

Somsak yesterday called for a break in the meeting because during that period NBT, a free television channel under the Public Relations Department, was assigned to air other programmes.

Government whip Pissanu Hatthasongkroh had said earlier that though airtime on other free channels was not available, the Parliament channel would continue broadcasting and it could be accessed via satellite TV and the Internet. However, Democrat MPs Prasert Pongsuwan-siri and Chuti Krairiksh said only a few people had access to this channel. 

Government chief whip Udomdej Ratanasatien, meanwhile, said he and his counterparts in the opposition and Senate had agreed that the meeting would run from 9.30am to midnight from Tuesday to tomorrow.

He added that it was up to the House Speaker to decide whether the meeting should continue beyond that period and if the House should meet on Thursday, which is normally the day when the House meets to pass laws. Udomdej added that it would be wrong not to broadcast the meeting because it would be like closing people’s eyes.

On Monday, some Pheu Thai MPs proposed that the NBT broadcasting be stopped in retaliation to the Opposition’s move to extend the charter-change debate. However, the majority did not agree.

Yesterday morning, Somsak told the meeting that NBT would not be broadcasting the debate for a few hours because it had to air the opening ceremony of the University Games. 

Airtime on NBT is also not available from 3pm to 6pm today because it is broadcasting a ceremony, presided over by HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, held in honour of police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. After that, the channel will broadcast the opening ceremony of the government’s scheme to help indebted farmers, he said.

Yesterday, the ninth day of the second reading of the charter amendment, which began on April 10, marked the deliberation of a change to Article 291, which identifies the process of amending the Constitution. The meeting voted for the establishment of a Constitution Drafting Assembly.

Yesterday was also the second day of deliberation on drafted Article 291/6, which states the process of getting 22 Parliament-appointed CDA members.

Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said the definition of “private-sector organisations” that can nominate CDA member candidates should be clearly identified as legal entities and should have been established for a specific period of time. Moreover, he proposed that at least one parliamentarian be allowed to vote for having less than 22 CDA members, otherwise only certain groups would be able to dominate the CDA member selection.

Parliamentarians criticised the draft as giving too much power to the House Speaker in identifying rules for the selection process and in selecting a qualification verification committee. 

Samart Kaewmeechai, chairman of the ad hoc panel on charter amendment, said the qualification of appointed CDA members have been identified in the Constitution, so only “good” people would be chosen. 

“I am confident that the House Speaker will follow the laws. Besides, he would be closely monitored by parliamentarians so it is impossible for him to be biased when naming people to be selected as CDA members,” Samart said.

Senator Prasert Chitapong, meanwhile, proposed that the entire Parliament participate in the selection process instead of just the House Speaker. He also said that the qualification verification committee should have 27 members, instead of 15.

“The panel speaker said 2,000 names would be nominated, and with just 20 days to complete the job, even 27 may be too few,” Prasert said.