Bangkok: Chonlanan believes two days of discussions on the second reading of the constitutional amendment will be sufficient. Despite the numerous details and intense debate, the matter was resolved by a majority vote. He expressed concern that the Constitution Drafting Committee’s origins may be influenced.

According to Thai News Agency, Dr. Cholanat Srikaew, a Pheu Thai Party MP for Nan and a member of the House Committee considering the draft constitution amendment, addressed the Cabinet’s decision to convene a special session of parliament from December 10th to 11th for the second reading of Section 256 of the constitutional amendment. He stated that the draft amendment contains 50 sections, with Section 4, which amends Section 256, having 39 sections. This extensive detail allows for debate on every section, yet he believes two days will suffice. In a parliamentary system that relies on majority votes, resolutions must be reached, even amid intense debate.

When questioned about the Senate possibly opposing the bill, Dr. Cholanat acknowledged the possibility, as the Constitution requires a majority vote from the Senate. Should debates in the second reading raise issues impacting the third reading, it could result in failure. However, the Senate’s progress, as assessed by the Senate-represented committee, aligns with the majority vote.

Dr. Cholanat expressed concern over the 35-member Constitution Drafting Committee’s origin, which could be influenced by the next parliament’s selection process. He emphasized that achieving a democratic constitution could be challenging unless Parliament considers the minority’s reservations. He suggested the selection of committee members be done by voting, with criteria for approval involving senators and opposition votes to minimize influence.

Dr. Cholanat opposed the proposed method of using the minority to dominate the majority but considered it suitable for selecting individuals to prevent majority control. He proposed a review, but it was refused by the majority of committee members, leaving it reserved for the second reading. He mentioned the potential for supporting a Constitution Drafting Assembly over the current committee structure and discussed the mechanism for selecting committee members.