Bangkok: Somkid Chuekong has strongly criticized the agreement between two political parties, accusing them of deceiving the Thai public and lacking sincerity in their commitment to amending the constitution. This comes in response to the Constitutional Court's recent ruling that stipulated a new constitution would require three referendums, an endeavor projected to cost over 10 billion baht.
According to Thai News Agency, Somkid, a former Pheu Thai Party MP and former Deputy Secretary-General to the Prime Minister, emphasized that the ruling mandates adherence to Chapter 15 of the Constitution, which outlines the process for constitutional amendments under Parliament's jurisdiction. He noted that the political sector respects the court's decision, which requires the constitutional amendment to return to the House of Representatives for a vote to establish the referendum guidelines.
Mr. Somkid further explained that the process involves amendments to Article 256 of the Constitution, detailing the necessary procedures and criteria for amending the constitution. The three referendums, each costing at least 3 billion baht, are expected to be time-consuming, making the claim that the process could be completed in four months unrealistic. He described this timeline as a false promise made for personal gain.
He criticized the Bhumjaithai Party for consistently opposing constitutional amendments and collaborating with Senate members to delay the referendum by 180 days. He argued that Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's lack of action on constitutional amendments indicates insincerity. The agreement between the Bhumjaithai Party and the Prachachon Party, he claimed, is akin to a prearranged scheme to deceive the latter, who are complicit in misleading the Thai people.