Bangkok: A spokesperson for the Constitutional Amendment Committee has disclosed that the majority of the committee voted in favor of adopting a 20-to-1 formula for the selection of members to join the drafting committee. The decision involves selecting 20 members, with an overall selection of 35 members, and requires Parliament to finalize these selections within a 60-day timeframe to discuss pertinent issues.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Naraset Prachayakar, a Senator and spokesman for the House Committee on the Draft Constitution Amendment, detailed the committee meeting’s considerations regarding Section 256/5, which outlines the selection process for the drafting committee. The meeting resulted in a 19 to 0 vote, with 10 abstentions, supporting the formula proposed by Mr. Panusaya Wacharasindhu, a party-list MP from the Prachachon Party. Mr. Panusaya introduced some modifications to the proposal. In scenarios where the House cannot form a group of 20 or elect 35 members, Parliament will vote to select the additional members, requiring a two-thirds vote to ensure a balanced decision-making process. The drafters of the constitution must include representatives from both opposition and government parties.

Mr. Naraset explained the procedure if the Constitution Drafting Committee fails to meet the 35-member requirement. Should there be a shortfall, nominations must be submitted for parliamentary voting with twice the number of required candidates. The selection will be based on the highest number of votes, ensuring no less than two-thirds of the votes are obtained.

He also emphasized that Parliament has a strict 60-day deadline to appoint the constitutional drafting committee. If the 35-member requirement is not met but reaches at least 90%, or 32 members, the committee will proceed with the available members.

Following the afternoon session’s conclusion on November 13, the committee will deliberate Section 256/2, concerning the origins of the Constitution Drafting Committee. The People’s Party’s main draft suggests a public election process for the committee, but further discussions are necessary to finalize the details.

Reporters noted that the committee’s decision to approve the 20-to-1 formula, with 10 abstentions, included input from members of the Pheu Thai Party and the Prachachat Party. The meeting also examined the origins and qualifications of party lists for submission to Parliament, with the Prachachon Party advocating for a party-list system and the Bhumjaithai Party suggesting provincial representatives and expert groups as potential sources.