Bangkok: Pisit insists the Senate has no intention of delaying the constitutional amendment process after the meeting collapsed due to a lack of clarity. He revealed that the Senate President has cancelled his overseas study trip and is on standby in case of a special session. He emphasized that the origins of the constitution-drafting body must not violate the Constitutional Court’s ruling.

According to Thai News Agency, Senator Pisit Apiwattanapong, a member of the House Committee on Draft Constitutional Amendments, gave an interview regarding the committee’s progress. He stated that the Senate is concerned about the origins of the Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA), or the Constitution Drafting Committee, as it must not be directly elected by the people. This concern is based on Constitutional Court Decision No. 18/2568, and avoiding conflict with the court’s decision has been a key issue recently.

Regarding the failure to reach a quorum on November 6th, it must be explained that the meeting discussed whether to use the primary draft of Mr. Parit Wacharasindhu, a party-list MP and spokesperson, within a sub-committee. However, it remains unclear whether the election will be conducted through direct popular vote or by having parliament choose from applicants. This led to a request for suspension of the meeting and postponement of the vote to the afternoon for more details. Several senators refused to vote due to the unclear final decision, while the Pheu Thai Party and the majority wanted an immediate vote. When a quorum count was requested by the chairperson, the meeting was not present, leading to adjournment.

Mr. Pisit continued, insisting that he had no intention of delaying anything. He noted that the meeting minutes show more than half of the members attended every meeting. He emphasized the importance of adhering to the Constitutional Court’s ruling. Without clarity, he would not dare to vote on Mr. Pris’ draft, 256/1(1), which is linked to sections 256/2 and 256/5. This linkage has caused concern among senators. However, he is confident that the House will cooperate on November 12th.

Mr. Pisit stated that within the timeframe, they expect the bill to be completed within the week of November 18-19, so it can be considered by the parliamentary meeting before the session opens. A special session is expected on December 8-9, with a 15-day delay before the joint session of the third session, around December 24-26, before the New Year holiday.

“The Senate President has requested cooperation from all committee members to refrain from traveling abroad in case a joint meeting is held to amend the constitution,” said Mr. Pisit.