Pheu Thai statement to target court
The Pheu Thai Party will this week officially submit a statement rejecting the Constitutional Court's authority to consider Senator Somchai Sawaengkarn's petition on whether the proposed amendment to Article 68 of the Constitution is unconstitutional.
Pheu Thai MP Pichit Chuenban, a legal expert for the party, said the statement – issued on behalf of some 300 Pheu Thai MPs and senators – would express the legislative branch’s disagreement with the court’s decision to review the charter-amendment bill. He said the party saw it as the court intervening in the affairs of the legislative branch, which had the freedom and authority to amend the charter. He said some MPs would also submit written explanations to the court about its decision.
As for the plan to seek impeachment of Constitutional Court judges, the party would discuss the issue first, because the idea had come from only a few politicians and had not yet been adopted as a resolution by the party, Pichit said.
Pichit said he thought legal action wasn’t yet at a dead end as the committees assigned to amend the charter were still working on it. All parties should be careful not to cause friction, he said, and should avoid conflicts that could lead to weaknesses in the three branches of power: the legislative, administrative and judicial branches.
Pheu Thai Chiang Rai MP Samart Kaewmeechai, said the party’s legal team would meet tomorrow to discuss the next move.
