Prayut follows laws in dictating political changes: NLA president
NLA President Pornpetch Wichitcholchai said on Thursday that the recent use of the absolute powers of Article 44 to amend the Political Party Act does not violate people’s rights as has been claimed by some political parties.
Pornpetch said political parties could petition the Constitutional Court if they believe that the order violates the rights addressed under Article 26 of the charter. The Pheu Thail Party on Wednesday filed a petition to nullify the order by junta chief Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-Cha, and the Democrat Party has said it would submit a similar petition in the New Year.
However, the charter itself has a provisional chapter allowing continued use of Article 44, Pornpetch said.
Pornpetch declined to comment whether the use of Article 44 to amend the law contradicts the rule of law. He said the law, if it had flaws, needed to be amended.
To amend the political law by the National Legislative Assembly would take time as it would require public hearings under Article 77 of the charter, Pornpetch said, rejecting the notion that the country is now being run under one person’s orders.
“No, it’s not like that. Power has been shared out to concerned agencies and we perform following the authority we have been our given,” said Pornpetch.