Bangkok: “Chusak” believes the Constitutional Court will accept the referendum decision before amending the constitution because there has already been a conflict. He is ready to assess that if the decision is made to do it twice, he is confident that it will be completed in time for this government. However, if it is not accepted, it must be done three times.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Chusak Sirinil, Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office and Deputy Leader of the Pheu Thai Party, expressed his confidence that the Constitutional Court will accept the motion from the parliament asking whether to hold a referendum before amending the constitution. He hoped that the Constitutional Court would accept the decision because this time the President of the National Assembly included the agenda and then a conflict arose, as in the parliamentary meeting in mid-February, when the parliament could not consider amending the constitution. One side said it could not be considered, while the other side walked out. This situation clearly indicated a conflict, leading Mr. Chusak to believe that the Constitutional Court would accept the decision to allow moving forward.
When asked about the possibility of the Constitutional Court not accepting the ruling, Mr. Chusak stated that he acknowledges the recurring cycle of divided opinions, which complicates progress. In such a case, he might have to decide to hold a referendum three times to address the dissatisfaction of those who abstain from joining the meeting. He expressed hope that the court would accept the ruling to facilitate a resolution for the country.
Addressing the scenario where the Constitutional Court might rule in favor of holding a referendum twice, Mr. Chusak suggested that the amendment of the constitution could potentially be completed within the current government’s term. However, if the court mandates three referendums, completion within this term is unlikely. He remains optimistic that with concerted effort, the amendment might still be completed, potentially through the formation of a Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA).