Pheu Thai to propose charter amendment for clearer ethical standards

Pheu Thai Party may next week submit a bill to amend the Constitution to set clear criteria and conditions for charging and removing political office holders for breaches of ethical standards.

PM’s Office Minister Chusak Sirinil said on Tuesday that the drafting of the bill is nearly complete.

“The amendment will be introduced in the name of the Pheu Thai Party, not the government, and should be presented to the House as early as next week,” he said.

The bill is expected to include four or five articles that will define violations of ethical standards clearly, eliminating the need for further clarification or interpretation.

Chusak noted that the opposition is also preparing a similar bill. “Each party will submit their bill to be deliberated in Parliament,” he added.

He said that the current charter provides vague guidelines of severe ethical violations, which the amendment aims to address by outlining specific definitions and procedures for filing complaints and court trials.

The proposed amendment follows the August 14 removal of former PM Srettha Thavisin by the Constitutional Court for breaching the code of ethics by appointing Pichit Cheuban as a Cabinet member.

Pichit had previously been jailed for attempting to bribe court officials.
The new bill will stipulate that political office holders can only be suspended once their cases are accepted by the court for trial, rather than merely upon submission of complaints to the National Anti-Corruption Commission. This, he said, will prevent the misuse of the complaints process.

Additionally, he said, the bill will also require that court rulings on such cases be reached by an overwhelming majority instead of a simple majority. Chusak cited Srettha’s removal, decided by a simple 5:4 vote, as an example of why a higher threshold was needed.

He denied that the Pheu Thai was trying to amend the charter to protect its own interest, asserting instead that the proposed changes aim to enhance the fairness of the process and ensure effective governance.