The National Legislative Assembly on Thursday approved the amended interim constitution draft in three straight readings.
NLA members voted 203 to nil with three abstentions in the third and final reading to accept the draft. The deliberations took almost six hours. Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon represented the cabinet and the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) at the sitting.
Most assembly members raised questions about one of the NCPO’s seven key proposed amendments that allows those who were previously stripped of voting rights to take a seat in the NLA, the cabinet and various committees.
NLA member Kittisak Rattanaworaha asked if the change was intended to favour any particular group of politicians and warned that this could allow corrupt people to cause damage to the national administration.
The election law imposes a five-year-political ban on all executive members of a political party if any of its members are found guilty of electoral fraud.
Mr Wissanu said innocent people affected by the ban should be separated from the actual offender and that the banned politicians should be given another chance to return to politics once their ban ends. He argued the amendment was intended to create reconciliation and show that the government did not hold a grudge against any group.
The assembly members also widely discussed procedures and steps in organising a public referendum on the new constitution if it is approved by the National Reform Council (NRC).
Regarding additional questions to be proposed by the NLA and the NRC at the referendum on top of whether voters "accept" or "reject" the draft constitution, many asked if it the queries must only involve the 2014 interim charter.
Mr Wissanu said it could be any topic, including issues related to the constitution draft, such as whether voters agree that Thailand should legalise casinos.
But additional questions will need more than half of the NRC and NLA votes, plus cabinet approval, in order to make it into the referendum, he added.
The Constitution Drafting Committee is required to complete the draft by July 23. The NRC is scheduled to decide on Aug 6 if it will approve the draft charter.