Govt lobbying senators on bill

Chon Buri province Senator Surachai Chaitrakoontong, who is secretary of the Senate whips, revealed that on Wednesday, the government would dispatch Deputy Prime Minister Pracha Promnok and PM’s Office Minister Varathep Ratanakorn to explain the government’s stance on the matter. He expected the meeting to last no more than an hour.

Surachai said the Senate was likely to spend two days scrutinising the bill and that Senate President Nikom Wairatpanij has chosen either November 8 or 11 for this.

Nakhon Pathom Senator Somchart Panpat said it would likely only take a day for the Senate to accept the bill in principle and spend no more than 20 days to consider whether some amendments are needed or not. The second and third readings would likely be concluded before the end of the Senate’s session on November 28, he added.

Lobbying activities with some benefits promised in return for support have been reported. Appointed Senator Paiboon Nititawan confirmed the existence of such activity though he denied knowledge of something being promised in return for a vote of support. He urged the public to closely scrutinise senators who have no clear public stance on the matter. 

The so-called group of 40 senators had clearly opposed the bill from the beginning, said Paiboon, and the group was trying to lobby other senators who appeared to be more or less impartial to convince them on why they should oppose the bill.

Some senators such as Uthai Thani province’s Singhachai Thungthong denied negotiating in order to support the bill although his view on the matter is not clear yet. He said the problem is due to the changing of the bill originally proposed by Pheu Thai MP Worachai Hema, and that he must assess the situation first before making a decision. Singhachai said many senators are stressed having to think about public interest on the issue.

Some, like Kamphaeng Phet Senator Krit Arthitkaew, have clearly announced their support for the controversial bill in principle, in the same way that communists were granted blanket amnesty in the 80s so the country could move forward. But he admitted he had yet to study the bill in detail.

Some senators acknowledged that the upper House is divided on the matter and the divisions tend to be along the line of whether one likes or dislikes Thaksin.

Appointed Senator Anurak Niyomvej said it is too premature for him to decide as he has to consider whether the bill is constitutional or not and also consider potential conflicts.

Meanwhile, the Students and People Network for Thailand Reform will next week submit a protest letter to the Senate urging the Upper House not to consider the bill.

Uthai Yodmanee, coordinator of the group, said the bill is against the principle of the rule of law and also unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, the opposition Democrat Party has written letters to United Nations and other international organisations making its stance on the bill known. 

Party spokesperson Chavanond Intarakomalyasut also defended the party from criticism by co-leader of the now-defunct People’s Alliance for Democracy, Sondhi Limthongkul, who said the party was staging the anti-amnesty bill protest to promote itself, saying that accusation was simply not true. 

The yellow-shirt mouthpiece television ASTV has discontinued broadcast of the protest after Sondhi said it was merely a stage for political promotion of the Democrat Party.