'No rushing charter change'

'No rushing charter change'

PM dampens hopes, says process 'lengthy'

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha

Amendments to the constitution cannot be rushed because there are legal requirements involved and some issues require public hearings and perhaps even a referendum, according to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Gen Prayut on Wednesday reiterated his support for changing the charter. However, he indicated the legal process involving amendments could be lengthy.

The government is scheduled to deliver its policy statement before parliament next week and MPs and senators will take part in a debate, tentatively scheduled for the end of this month.

The statement is a collection of the key policies of the coalition parties based on the pledges they made ahead of the March 24 election.

The Democrat Party, a key coalition partner, has actively called for amendments to the charter. One of the party's notable election campaign pledges, the policy has been incorporated into the government's policy statement.

Democrat leader Jurin Laksanavisit said on Wednesday that further talks will be held among coalition partners about who will initiate charter changes because the policy statement indicates the government will support an amendment bill if it contains elements in line with its policies.

He said the initial target should be to focus on the rules and conditions involving charter amendments, which make the process extremely difficult. The Democrat leader likened these rules to a sealed lock.

Jade Donavanik, former adviser to the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC), on Wednesday doubted the charter amendment process would be implemented in a year.

"Four years is possible if all sides are in agreement," he said, adding that a controversial clause involving the media share-holding rule for MPs may be easy to amend because it governs the affairs of lawmakers and is, therefore, within parliament's jurisdiction.

According to Mr Jade, while amendments to some sections require support from both MPs and senators, a public referendum is needed if the entire charter is to be changed or if the sought-after amendments concern the authority of the House or that of public independent agencies.

As for the Democrats' call for charter change, Mr Jade said the matter first needs public approval and the Democrats and the opposition may seek the establishment of a charter drafting body to write a new charter.

If parliament approves amendments without setting up a new charter-writing panel, Mr Jade suggested an online referendum to save money.

Meanwhile, Senate Speaker Pornpetch Wichitcholchai said on Wednesday that July 25-26 is tentatively scheduled for a debate on the policy statement and that two days should be enough for MPs and senators to discuss the government's manifesto if they do not stray from the topic.

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