Pheu Thai In Bid To Push Up Amnesty Bill

[webfact]

Pheu thai in bid to push up amnesty bill
The Nation


Crowd control police on standby inside Dusit Zoo.

BANGKOK: -- The Pheu Thai Party strategic committee meeting yesterday resolved to move up an amnesty bill proposed by Pheu Thai MPs as one of the most urgent bills for deliberation.

Jatuporn Promphan, a leading Pheu Thai member and red-shirt leader, said the strategic committee decided to have Pheu Thai MPs vote during a House meeting today to move the proposal to the top of the House agenda at the next parliamentary session.

The bill was sponsored by Worachai Hema and other Pheu Thai MPs.

Chief coalition whip Amnuay Klungpha said changing the priority for Worachai's bill would be an urgent topic at today's House meeting.

But the bill's first reading will not be held tomorrow or during an extra-parliamentary session. He said deliberations on the bill would receive top priority when Parliament reconvenes in August.

Amnuay said the strategic committee had also decided against holding deliberations on four reconciliation bills and other amnesty bills along with Worachai's bill.

Worachai insisted that the bill aimed to help free red shirts who were detained during the demonstrations in 2010.

In a related development, nine companies of policemen were yesterday dispatched to keep security at Parliament ahead of the House meeting and a joint meeting of MPs and senators today.

Three companies of police were deployed inside Parliament compound while the remainder will be on standby at the car park in Dusit Zoo.

A joint House-Senate meeting is scheduled today for MPs and senators to vote on a time frame for the vetting of three charter amendment bills.

After the joint meeting, the House meeting will decide when the rescheduling of Worachai's bill is to be proposed. It is expected that the People's Alliance for Democracy will hold a demonstration outside Parliament against deliberation on the amnesty bill.

Deputy House Speaker Wisut Chaiyanaroon, who is in charge of security for MPs, said he had asked the Metropolitan Police Bureau to deploy its officers to keep security near Parliament.

He said the bureau had decided on its own on the number of policemen needed to maintain security. He said if the number of PAD protesters were large, the bureau might deploy more policemen to guard Parliament.

House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont said he learned about the deployment of crowd control police only when he saw them in the Parliament compound.

He said he was not informed of the deployment so Parliament's security affairs could make its own decision about help from the authorities.

Chart Thai Pattana MP from Ubon Ratchathani, Toon Jintavej, said his party had told its MPs to attend the parliamentary session and follow the decisions of the ruling Pheu Thai Party while voting on the time frame for charter amendment.


-- The Nation 2013-04-18

[Locationthailand]

Amnesty to terrorists and thugs. Good call PTP. Idiots.

[webfact]

Controversial Amnesty Bill to bypass current Parliament session
By English News



BANGKOK, April 18 – Thai House speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont gave reassurances today that the widely-criticised Amnesty Bill will not be debated in the present parliamentary session due to end Saturday.

Pheu Thai MPs are entitled to move up deliberations of the bill, but not in time for the current session, he said, while urging the opposition bloc to cool down their disagreements.

He ruled out interrelation between the bills on amnesty and national reconciliation, both avidly supported by the government but seen by the opposition as attempts to assist former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who has been in self-exile overseas and the pro-government Red Shirt activists.

Mr Somsak said a special parliamentary session will be called only to debate the 2014 Budget Bill.

Government chief whip Amnuay Klangpa said Pheu Thai MPs agreed to put the Amnesty Bill on the agenda for the next parliamentary session to avoid conflicts and allow lawmakers more time to thoroughly discuss the proposed legislation, while interrelated bills may also be debated.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra ruled out concerns from some quarters that arguments over the Amnesty Bill will lead to violence.

“Talks are necessary in the reconciliation process. We will not find a solution unless we start. We’d better find peace and minimise conflicts rather than leaving the problems unresolved,” she said, apparently referring to the two government-supported but opposition-opposed legislations.

Sidestepping a question on whether the Amnesty Bill was to pave the way for Mr Thaksin to return to Thailand, Ms Yingluck – the former premier’s sister – said every MP works for the people’s interest and that Parliament was a mechanism for politicians of all blocs to debate while the public and the media keep close watch. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-04-18

[waza]

"Sidestepping a question on whether the Amnesty Bill was to pave the way for Mr Thaksin to return to Thailand, Ms Yingluck – the former premier’s sister – said every MP works for the people’s interest"

Sounds good in theory, however, that's not the way the PTP roll.

"Politics has heated up after ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra held a Skype meeting with the Pheu Thai Party, .....Getting the big boss's clear and loud message to pass the amnesty bills",

Edited April 18, 2013 by waza

[smedly]

anything to do with the charter or constitution should require a 2/3 majority to pass in the house otherwise it's a sham

This is how other countries safeguard democracy and constitution so that no one single elected body has ultimate power over such things

Referendum rules are similar if the public is voting - parliament should be the same

It is seriously lacking in Thailand and a fundamental flaw in the Thai system

[siampolee]

No option is there it is reported elsewhere in this forum that the puppet master is indignant that his orders are not being adhered to and as we saw a time back stipends will be reduced or stopped if the puppets don't jump high enough or noisily enough when their strings are pulled.

[Tatsujin]

"Sidestepping a question on whether the Amnesty Bill was to pave the way for Mr Thaksin to return to Thailand, Ms Yingluck – the former premier’s sister – said every MP works for the people’s interest"

Sounds good in theory, however, that's not the way the PTP roll.

"Politics has heated up after ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra held a Skype meeting with the Pheu Thai Party, .....Getting the big boss's clear and loud message to pass the amnesty bills",

Was this the same Skype messaging that they denied ever took place previously? i.e. Big Brother is "not" running things remotely?

[Tatsujin]

anything to do with the charter or constitution should require a 2/3 majority to pass in the house otherwise it's a sham

This is how other countries safeguard democracy and constitution so that no one single elected body has ultimate power over such things

Referendum rules are similar if the public is voting - parliament should be the same

It is seriously lacking in Thailand and a fundamental flaw in the Thai system

The main flaw in the Thai system is a lack of intelligence, common human decency and morals to name but a few.

[lungmi]

anything to do with the charter or constitution should require a 2/3 majority to pass in the house otherwise it's a sham

This is how other countries safeguard democracy and constitution so that no one single elected body has ultimate power over such things

Referendum rules are similar if the public is voting - parliament should be the same

It is seriously lacking in Thailand and a fundamental flaw in the Thai system

http://rdc1.net/forthcoming/DCD%20%28Chap%2012,%20Amendment%20Procedures,%20Congleton%20and%20Rausch%29.pdf

Norwegian style about stable constitution.

Edited April 18, 2013 by lungmi

[rubl]

"Sidestepping a question" by giving a non-related answer. Nothing really new since May, 2011 when our PM asked the Pheu Thai party executive commission to please accept her as candidate as she really felt the urge to serve the Thai people.

[webfact]

UPDATE:
AMNESTY
Amnesty bill tops House agenda
Khanittha Thepphajorn
The Nation


Democrat MP Attaporn Pollabutr holds up a sign

Bill to be taken up in August; MPs, senators back decision on vetting charter change bills

BANGKOK: -- The House of Representatives yesterday voted to move the amnesty bill proposed by Pheu Thai MP Worachai Hema to the top of the agenda. The move was preceded by hours of debate by the opposition, describing how the law would only benefit fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and how it would lead to rifts among people.

As yesterday was the last day of the House meeting and today is the last day of the parliamentary session, the bill would be deliberated in the next session in August.

Despite a walkout by the Democrats, MPs and senators yesterday voted 359 to 19 to reaffirm the Parliament president's earlier decision to have the three charter amendment bills vetted in 15 days.

Meanwhile, government MPs and some senators who support constitutional amendments are preparing to petition against the Constitutional Court's decision to accept to rule on the legality of the charter change. The votes was cast after Parliament President Somsak Kiatsuranont and Democrat MPs spent more than two hours debating Parliament's meeting regulations, during which Somsak faced strong protests from the Democrats.

Somsak called a joint meeting of MPs and senators yesterday after Democrat MPs cried foul, saying he had cut short an earlier joint meeting before MPs and senators could decide a timeframe on the vetting of the three bills.

When the joint meeting started, several Democrat MPs protested that the meeting had been closed and Somsak had no authority to reopen it. But Somsak argued that Democrat MPs themselves had urged him to reconvene the joint meeting to decide on the dispute over the timeframe for vetting the bill. Somsak explained that the meeting had to be held because on April 3, after the three bills were passed in the first reading, the Democrats called for the three special panels, set up to vet the drafts, to have 60 working days.

However, a quorum check was called and it was found that the MPs and senators did not make up the quorum hence, Somsak said, the meeting regulation had to be applied to set the vetting timeframe of 15 days. Somsak said he wanted the joint meeting yesterday to decide once and for all whether the vetting should be done in 15 days in line with the regulation as he announced on April 3.

Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva argued that Somsak should first rescind his decision to set the vetting timeframe of 15 days before the voting would be held. But Somsak said the meeting regulation did not allow him to do so. When Somsak cut short the protesting Democrats and called for a vote, most of Democrats staged a walkout. Those who remained in the room held up A4 sheets displaying word "dictator". After the joint meeting reaffirmed the 15-day timeframe, the three ad hoc panels would finish the vetting today. The second reading of the bills has yet to be scheduled.

One of the bills seeks to amend Article 68, requiring people who want to invoke the article to defend the constitutional monarchy government, to petition the Constitutional Court only via the Office of the Attorney-General. But Senator Somchai Sawaengkarn has petitioned the court against the Article 68 amendment and the court voted 3:2 to proceed with the judicial review of the petition.


-- The Nation 2013-04-19

[waza]

The fuse is lit......

[OzMick]

The fuse is lit......

........boom, boom. (Basil Brush).

[Thai at Heart]

Seems they can't even work out what is required to get parliament to function.

[Tatsujin]

Seems they can't even work out what is required to get parliament to function.

A 4 month vacation doesn't help . . .

[Noistar]

anything to do with the charter or constitution should require a 2/3 majority to pass in the house otherwise it's a sham

This is how other countries safeguard democracy and constitution so that no one single elected body has ultimate power over such things

Referendum rules are similar if the public is voting - parliament should be the same

It is seriously lacking in Thailand and a fundamental flaw in the Thai system

The main flaw in the Thai system is a lack of intelligence, common human decency and morals to name but a few.

Lack of morals probably sums it up. Me, me, me, money, money, money.

[Tatsujin]

anything to do with the charter or constitution should require a 2/3 majority to pass in the house otherwise it's a sham

This is how other countries safeguard democracy and constitution so that no one single elected body has ultimate power over such things

Referendum rules are similar if the public is voting - parliament should be the same

It is seriously lacking in Thailand and a fundamental flaw in the Thai system

The main flaw in the Thai system is a lack of intelligence, common human decency and morals to name but a few.

Lack of morals probably sums it up. Me, me, me, money, money, money.

There's nothing new in Politics when it comes to money, they've been thieving from the people for generations and will for many to come. It's the only reason anyone gets into Politics here, to make (steal) money. It's the more recent "blatantness" (if that's a word) that I don't particularly like.

[Noistar]

anything to do with the charter or constitution should require a 2/3 majority to pass in the house otherwise it's a sham

This is how other countries safeguard democracy and constitution so that no one single elected body has ultimate power over such things

Referendum rules are similar if the public is voting - parliament should be the same

It is seriously lacking in Thailand and a fundamental flaw in the Thai system

The main flaw in the Thai system is a lack of intelligence, common human decency and morals to name but a few.

Lack of morals probably sums it up. Me, me, me, money, money, money.

There's nothing new in Politics when it comes to money, they've been thieving from the people for generations and will for many to come. It's the only reason anyone gets into Politics here, to make (steal) money. It's the more recent "blatantness" (if that's a word) that I don't particularly like.

Agreed, blatant and apparently acceptable by the electorate