Deputy PM Phumtham to head efforts to amend 2017 charter
The Pheu Thai-led coalition wrapped up its Cabinet’s first meeting on Wednesday by appointing Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai to spearhead efforts to amend the current Constitution.
Making the 2017 charter more democratic was one of the many promises Pheu Thai made to voters while campaigning for the May 14 general election.
In the course of the first Cabinet meeting, Phumthum was put in charge of overseeing the constitutional amendment process. His immediate task is to set up a committee and conduct a comprehensive study on the matter.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told reporters that his government would involve Parliament in the amendment process, which includes determining the specifics of the referendum.
Srettha said he wants every sector, including the public, to have a hand in shaping the new “democratic” framework.
The government also listed the Articles that can and cannot be revised, such as those concerning the monarchy, when declaring its policies to Parliament on Monday. This declaration drew strong criticism from the key opposition party, Move Forward.
Move Forward MP Parit Wacharasindhu argued that Pheu Thai had broken the promise it made before taking office. He said the party had declared that a charter-drafting assembly, chosen by the people, would be set up to draw up a new Constitution. However, he said, this subject was omitted in the government policies.
In response to these concerns, Phumtham said he needed to be “careful” while working on the matter as the subject is sensitive and may spark disputes in society.
However, he promised that detailed discussions on the Constitution would be held in the future.
