Pheu Thai Reaffirms Three Principles for New Constitution Draft, Criticizes Constitutional Court Ruling as Undemocratic and Claims 2017 Constitution Fertilizes Military Regime
Pheu Thai Party outlines three principles for a new constitutional amendment draft, emphasizing public participation and equal parliamentary voting rights while criticizing the 2017 Constitution for enabling military influence through an un
The Pheu Thai Party reaffirmed three core principles for submitting a new constitutional amendment draft on May 18, 2025, at Parliament. Party leader and list MP Nattapong Ruengpanya announced the positions following a shadow cabinet meeting with civil society representatives regarding guidelines for drafting a new constitution. "We need a constitution that connects with the people as much as possible, not one that is drafted as quickly as possible," he stated.
The party's three foundational principles are: (1) Maximizing public participation, especially in selecting constitution drafters, despite operating within the framework of Constitutional Court Ruling 18/2568; (2) Preventing monopolization of the new constitution-drafting process; and (3) Not granting additional privileges to senators, ensuring all parliamentarians have equal voting rights throughout the process.
The party committed to proposing amendments to Article 256 of the Constitution to add Chapter 15/1 based on these three principles, and pledged to allocate some of its MPs to support compatible amendments proposed by other political parties. Pheu Thai also agreed to support civil society in gathering at least 50,000 signatures from eligible voters for alternative constitutional amendments.
Ying Chitpol Acharnnont, director of the Internet for the Law Project (iLaw), stated that the government must announce a complete roadmap for the constitution-drafting process, including at least two additional referendums, a process for selecting drafters, and public consultations. He warned that no political party should have disproportionate influence, particularly unelected senators without legitimacy from public elections. He emphasized that if political parties' proposals lack public participation, civil society has the right to submit competing alternatives.
Pricha Watcharasindhul, a Pheu Thai list MP, argued that the 2017 Constitution created a politically deadlocked system by allowing the government to collude with independent organizations through the appointed Senate, which was structured without public input and selected through mutual arrangement.
