Government Unfazed by Calls for Dissolution Amid Charter Debate

[webfact]

Thai Government house. File photo courtesy: Wikipedia

 

The Pheu Thai-led government has dismissed opposition calls for a House dissolution following failed attempts to deliberate changes to the 2017 constitution. Opposition People's Party leader, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, urged dissolution after joint sittings collapsed last week due to a lack of quorum, highlighting perceived disunity within the coalition.

 

Pheu Thai MP Sutin Klungsang countered that differing opinions are typical and do not signal instability within the coalition. "Despite the current impasse, it's business as usual, and Pheu Thai continues to effectively lead the government," he stated.

 

Anusorn Iamsa-ard, another Pheu Thai list MP, supported this view, asserting that the government remains committed to serving its full four-year term. He dismissed the dissolution calls as an overreaction to rumours purported by the opposition.

 

The quorum failures occurred during sessions intended to discuss amendments to Section 256 of the constitution, a key hurdle in the charter rewrite process. Opposition leader Natthaphong attributed these failures to coalition disunity, but Pheu Thai maintains it will move forward with its mandate.

To resolve the stalemate, Pheu Thai plans to petition Thailand's Constitutional Court. They seek clarity on whether a public referendum is necessary before initiating the charter drafting process. The court’s new ruling is anticipated to guide the path forward, particularly given different interpretations of a 2021 court ruling on the matter.

 

Government MPs remain divided over the need for a referendum, due to ambiguous language in the previous court ruling. Pheu Thai's legal team is actively preparing arguments to gain parliamentary support for a new court ruling, clarifying the process. This will potentially clear the way for further debate on charter rewrite bills submitted by both Pheu Thai and the People's Party.

 

Pheu Thai's stance indicates steadfast confidence in their leadership and ability to navigate through the legislative challenges, reaffirming their commitment to maintaining both the coalition and their legislative agenda, reported Bangkok Post.

 

-- 2025-02-17

 

 

[ikke1959]

A non workable government should be dissolved indeed... You do your job or you are being sacked.. easy peasy

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

"Despite the current impasse, it's business as usual,

That's comforting to know.