New charter amendments proposed

New charter amendments proposed

About 60 senators have proposed amendments to some sections of the 2007 constitution, Pheu Thai MP Udomdej Rattanasathien said on Monday.

Mr Udomdej said the proposal was submitted by 50-60 senators led by Direk Thuengfang of Nonthaburi to the government coalition parties' committee for the study of charter amendments.

The senators wanted Sections 68 and 237, which concern dissolution of a political party found guilty of electoral fraud, to be amended to exclude party executive members not involved in the offence from being banned from political office. 

They said only the wrongdoers should be punished individually.

They also proposed the amendment of Section 190 to ease the requirement for draft agreements being made with other countries to first be approved by parliament, he said.

Mr Udomdej, who is a member of the government coalition committee, said the senators also wanted Section 50 of the charter amended to enable elected senators, who can now serve only one six-year term, to seek re-election.

The majority of the coalition committee agreed to the senators' proposal, which will be forwarded to coalition parties for consideration.

If the coalition parties agreed, a new charter amendment bill would be forwarded to parliament before the end of the current session to be deliberated in the first reading, Mr Udomdej said.

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