The joint Parliament session voted to accept in principle only one constitutional amendment draft out of 13 submitted – on bringing back the two-ballot system, last night (Thursday).
The draft passed in the first reading held on Wednesday and Thursday was proposed by the Democrat Party, with 552 votes in favour as opposed to 24 against. The same proposal made by the ruling Palang Pracharat Party and Opposition’s Pheu Thai were rejected.
This means various other proposals especially the removal of Senate’s power to select a prime minister proposed by both government coalition parties and opposition parties were also rejected.
Yesterday hundreds of anti-establishment protesters rallied in support of the Opposition’s charter amendment drafts and to renew their calls for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s resignation. Among their demands were removal of the junta-appointed Senate and having the charter amended by an elected committee.
The one draft accepted will need to go through another vote in the final reading. The two-ballot system, to have 400 constituency MPs and 100 party list ones, instead of 350:150 currently, stands to benefit large parties. The current single-ballot system makes it almost impossible for any political party to gain a parliamentary majority and form a one-party government, like Thaksin Shinawatra’s Thai Rak Thai did in the past.
Meanwhile, the Re-Solution group has gathered up to 70,000 signatures, more than the required minimum of 50,000, to submit its charter amendment proposals which include the abolition of Senate.
