Ruling Coalition Parties, UDD Submit Draft Constitution Amendment: Thailand

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Ruling coalition parties, UDD submit draft Constitution amendment

BANGKOK, Feb 9 -- Ruling coalition parties led by the Government Chief Whip Udomdej Ratanasatien on Thursday submitted a draft charter amendment to House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont, while the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) also lodged its own version with the House Speaker.

Mr Udomdej, Wannarat Channukul, leader of the Chart Pattana Puea Pandin Party; Paradorn Prissananantakul, Chart Thai Pattana MP from Ang Thong, as well as coalition representatives from the New Democrat, Phalang Chon and Mahachon parties jointly submitted the draft to Mr Somsak at Parliament.

Pheu Thai MP Udomdej said the draft, signed by 275 government MPs, seeks to amend Section 291 of the 2007 Constitution to make way for establishing a constitution drafting assembly comprising 99 members --one member elected in each of the 77 provinces plus 22 academics and experts in required fields selected by Parliament.

The House Speaker said the draft amendment and supporting signatures would go through a verification process set by parliamentary procedure and if there are no problem, the draft would be included in the parliamentary agenda within 15 days.

Mr Paradorn said his Chart Thai Pattana party would submit its version of the draft Constitution amendment to the House Speaker next week.

Meanwhile, the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) or the Red Shirts, on Thursday afternoon filed a Constitution amendment draft with the House Speaker.

Acting UDD Chair Thida Thavornseth led members of the Red Shirt movement to submit their own version of the draft which was signed by more than 60,000 eligible voters.

The UDD draft amendment sought to amend Section 291 of the constitution to open the way for the setting up of a constitution drafting assembly (CDA).

The CDA would have 100 members directly elected by the people and must complete its draft constitution within 240 days of its 100 members being elected, and the draft then would be sent for referendum within 60 days.

The draft constitution must be approved by 50 per cent of eligible voters.

Mr Somsak said the verification process of the supporting signatures would take about two months. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-02-09

[looping]

Cycle of interest in Thai politics: interested...annoyed...outraged...bored/indifferent...som nam naa...totally disinterested/rest...slightly inquisitive...back to 'interested', DO NOT PASS GO, DON'T COLLECT ANYTHING WORTHWHILE...etc etc... I'm at 'som nam naa', in my opinion the best place to be