Pheu Thai party leader claims no conflict with Bhumjaithai over constitutional amendments draft

The Pheu Thai party claims that it has no conflict with its main coalition partner, the Bhumjaithai party, over the latter’s decision to withdraw support from Pheu Thai’s constitutional amendments draft.

Leader of Pheu Thai, Julapun Amornvivat, said today that he has been informed by Anutin Charnvirakul, the Bhumjaithai leader and prime minister, about the decision to withdraw support over concerns that the draft may contravene a ruling of the Constitutional Court, that members of a Constitution Drafting Assembly cannot be directly elected by the people.

He also said that such a decision by the Bhumjaithai party does not affect the coalition, as the Pheu Thai party respects the right and decisions of its core coalition partner adding, however, that his party will hold a meeting among its MPs about how to move forward with its charter amendments draft and that the two parties will also have to discuss what to do next.

With only 77 MPs in the Lower House, Julapun admitted that the Pheu Thai party itself cannot push its own draft through parliament without the support of MPs from other parties, in particular Bhumjaithai, and senators.

Pheu Thai needs the support of about 30 MPs from Bhumjaithai to second its draft and it needs half of the votes of the Lower House and one-third of the Senate for the passage of the draft at a joint sitting of the House and Senate.

The Pheu Thai draft calls for the direct election of 300 members of the Constitution Drafting Assembly, who would be shortlisted to 100 by parliament.

As a member of the coalition, Julapun said that, in the end, the Bhumjaithai party’s draft will be the core draft of the coalition parties to be debated in parliament.