Pheu Thai Party Set to Submit Constitutional Amendment Draft Again, Urges Cabinet to Present Proposal Amid Concerns Over Senate's One-Third Blocking Power
Pheu Thai Party plans to submit its own constitutional amendment draft and urges the government to present a formal proposal, citing concerns that the Senate's one-third blocking power could obstruct charter reforms sought by 21.6 million v
On May 17, 2025, Panida Mongkollswasdi, Samut Prakan MP and Pheu Thai Party spokesperson, discussed the Bhumjaithai and Move Forward parties' plans to push forward a constitutional amendment draft, calling it a positive development that respects the voice of the people. Although the government has not revived the previous draft, what remains unclear is the cabinet's own proposal, since the current draft was submitted as a Bhumjaithai Party initiative rather than reflecting government intentions.
"What we want to see is the government taking constitutional amendment seriously to pave the way for a new charter. Therefore, there should be a concrete cabinet draft. This is what we want to see, and we are somewhat disappointed with the Bhumjaithai Party's approach, which doesn't seem proportionate to the 21.6 million votes they received. However, given that the Bhumjaithai and Move Forward parties are preparing to submit their amendment draft to parliament, Pheu Thai will continue communicating through the shadow cabinet and will submit our own constitutional amendment draft again," Panida stated.
When asked about her views on Move Forward's model, which would have each province select members of the constitutional drafting assembly before parliament selects them again, Panida said the approaches are quite similar. The Pheu Thai Party believes the drafting body should come from public elections, though the Constitutional Court's ruling prohibits direct selection, so processes must be designed to maximize public participation in forming the drafting committee.
"If Move Forward's draft opens space or shares the principle that drafters come from public selection in some form, while respecting the Constitutional Court's ruling, we would agree," Panida said.
When asked about concerns regarding the constitutional amendment, Panida identified the Senate's one-third voting power in approving a new constitution as the most critical issue. Parties must build consensus on whether to retain the Senate's one-third blocking power, especially when 21.6 million voters have clearly indicated they want a new charter.
"This means the power to pass a constitution should rest with the people, not become a bottleneck where the Senate's one-third blocks the new charter's passage. This is what worries me, and I believe we should seek consensus so that Article 256 constitutional amendment efforts are not in vain," Panida concluded.
