Amnesty bill discussed at coalition dinner
Other ‘sensitive subjects’ were also covered during Monday night’s dinner meeting hosted by Pheu Thai
The drafting of the amnesty bill and other sensitive subjects were discussed at the dinner of government coalition members hosted by the ruling Pheu Thai Party at the Rosewood Hotel in Bangkok on Monday.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said after the dinner that the coalition members discussed the principles of the draft, which aims to forgive offences in political cases, in a democratic way with open exchanges of opinions.
“The next step of the draft will be handled by the Parliament, but we will continue to push it,” said the premier, refusing to go into details as it is a “sensitive subject”.
When asked if all coalition members agreed with the proposed constitution amendment, Paetongtarn said that no conclusion had been reached, adding that talks on Monday only focused on projects that each ministry wants to implement to push the country forward.
The PM however again underscored the government’s stance of not changing topics related to Section 112 of the Criminal Code, or the lese majesté law.
Paetongtarn said she asked those attending the dinner attendants to work together to overcome communication barriers, both among coalition parties and with the public to ensure a smooth and efficient work process.
The PM told reporters that no coalition members were worried about the Election Commission’s decision to set up an investigative committee for complaints against Pheu Thai and other parties in the ruling coalition.
The complaints allege that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is exerting control over the party, and seek to dissolve Pheu Thai.
“The accusations do not align with the facts, but we are ready to cooperate with the legal process,” she said.
She went on to say that the party’s discussions with Thaksin were rarely of a political nature, but rather a conversation between two parties that have positive relations.
Paetongtarn said she planned to invite coalition members to a discussion again after the APEC meeting next month (November 9-16), and will also host separate sessions with each party leader and minister to discuss problems and policies. The next dinner will be hosted by the Bhumjaithai Party.
