Parliament is set to debate charter amendments on Oct 14-15, with the opposition pushing for first-reading approval.
Nan Boonthida Somchai, Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) MP for Ubon Ratchathani and secretary to the government whips, said the parliamentary whips will meet this week to allocate debate time for each side ahead of an extensive debate on the content of the bill.
“We will discuss how many hours each group — the government, opposition and Senate — will receive for deliberation,” she said.
Asked whether the House leadership has coordinated with senators to support the first reading of the amendment bills, Ms Nan said such coordination was not possible, stressing that the vote is a matter of individual parliamentary privilege.
“We can only inform them of the upcoming agenda. Each MP and senator will decide independently whether to accept any of the bills in principle,” she said.
She added that MPs are still carefully reviewing the content of the proposed bills with regard to the Constitutional Court’s previous rulings on the amendment process. “We are examining the text literally word for word to understand the potential implications,” she said.
As for BJT’s position, the party will hold an internal meeting on Tuesday to determine its stance ahead of the debate, Ms Nan, who also serves as party spokesperson, confirmed.
Meanwhile, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the main opposition People’s Party (PP), urged all MPs and senators to vote in favour of the bill following the first reading, after which parliament could spend the next two to three months discussing the details in the second and third readings of the draft.
“The process of drafting a new constitution belongs to all parliamentarians, both MPs and senators. Everyone should at least approve the principle in the first stage,” he said.
The PP has also proposed a new charter drafting process that includes a national consultative assembly with citizen representatives from across the country to ensure inclusivity and transparency.
“This must be a safe space for open discussion — on sensitive issues and everyday problems alike,” Mr Natthaphong said, adding that persuading the public of the need for a new constitution is essential for Thailand’s future democracy.