Anutin: Bhumjaithai won’t touch Chapters 1–2, satisfied with 2017 charter
Anutin says Bhumjaithai will not amend Chapters 1–2, dismisses claims it wants a full rewrite, and says the party is satisfied with the 2017 constitution.
At Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market in Bangkok, Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister and Interior Minister, and leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, set out the party’s position on constitutional amendments.
He said Bhumjaithai was clear that it would not touch Chapters 1 and 2. He noted that amending the constitution involves specific procedures and said that if a public referendum went a certain way, the party would not oppose it. However, he stressed that Chapters 1 and 2 must remain and must not have any impact on royal powers.
Anutin also said there was fake news circulating on social media claiming that Bhumjaithai intended to amend the entire constitution. He insisted the party was not leading any push to rewrite the charter and said Bhumjaithai was satisfied with the current constitution.
Still, he said he understood arguments from those campaigning for a “people’s constitution” that was not drafted under the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), but reiterated that Chapters 1 and 2 must remain.
Asked about some parties saying Chapters 1 and 2 should not be locked, and whether that could affect the institution, Anutin said they were not locked and it was unclear whether something could be inserted.
He said parties should speak clearly, adding that he did not want to be accused of interfering in other parties. He said Bhumjaithai would not touch issues related to royal powers, national security, or the institution, while other details could be discussed—such as how parliament is formed and matters relating to ministers.
On corruption, he said he would support measures to increase action against it, but would not support any reduction.
Asked whether, if Bhumjaithai formed a government, it would set a condition that coalition partners must not touch Chapters 1 and 2, Anutin said the party had declared that position since 2019 and would continue to do so in the future—until the day Bhumjaithai no longer existed in Thai politics.
