Govt vows to find way in charter bid

Change by sections likely if vote falls short

The government will not give up on pushing through an amendment of the constitution even if it fails to gather enough support via a referendum.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said Tuesday that even if the voter turnout for a referendum on the charter amendment fails to reach the required total, the government will still be able to amend the constitution section by section.
In order for the referendum's outcome to be valid at least half of all eligible voters _ or about 24 million people _ must take part in it.
The charter amendment, a key part of Pheu Thai's platform during its election campaign, has been put on hold after the Constitution Court recommended the government hold a referendum or amend it section by section instead of setting up a charter rewrite assembly.
Ms Yingluck said the government will not have failed to follow through on its election promise if the voter turnout fails to reach the required total, as the government had not intended to be forced into holding a referendum. The government is instead merely following the court's recommendations, she said.
Ms Yingluck said Pheu Thai Party members have different ideas on how to go about amending the charter, but this does not mean they are in conflict.
The red shirts want the government to proceed with the third reading of the charter rewrite bill to start the charter rewriting process right away.
Pheu Thai backs a referendum to find out if the public agrees with a plan to rewrite the charter in its entirety before going through with the third reading, whereas Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung opposes a referendum and calls for the charter to be amended section by section.
They still need to discuss the issue further to resolve their differences, Ms Yingluck said, adding she discussed the constitutional amendment issue with Mr Chalerm.
Ms Yingluck said the government wants the public to take part in the charter change process so that the new charter is more democratic. The specifics of the questions that will be asked in the referendum are still unclear.
Interior Minister and Pheu Thai Party leader Charupong Ruangsuwan said public hearings on the charter amendment can begin after New Year, while a referendum will require careful study and preparations.
He said the party will organise public hearings before deciding if it will choose to hold a referendum or proceed with the third-reading vote on a bill to amend Section 291 of the constitution, which is pending consideration by parliament.
Deputy Commerce Minister and red shirt leader Nattawut Saikuar yesterday brushed aside reports of a fracture between the red shirts and the ruling Pheu Thai Party over a public referendum on the charter amendment.
Mr Nattawut said the red shirt movement and Pheu Thai share a common stance against the current 2007 constitution, which was the result of the 2006 coup.
However, there are still differing opinions on how to amend the charter, Mr Nattawut said, adding it is time for all sides to talk through their differences to reach a common position.
United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) chairwoman Tida Tawornseth said Tuesday the group will continue to push for a third-reading vote on the charter amendment bill.
She said a referendum on the charter amendment would violate Section 291 of the constitution. The section does not authorise holding any referendum on charter change, she said.
Ms Tida also said Section 165 of the constitution stipulates that a referendum cannot be held on issues which run counter to the charter itself.
"Why should the government take a risk before the [third-reading] vote?" she said.
Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said after a meeting on the charter amendment yesterday that Mr Chalerm had proposed a plan to amend the charter section by section.
Under the proposal, the section relating to the monarchy will be left untouched.
Section 309, which legalised the actions of the military coup-makers who overthrew Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006, will also not be altered.
Mr Prompong said the working panel looking into the benefits of a referendum will present its conclusions on the issue at a seminar at Khao Yai in Nakhon Ratchasima on Jan 6-7.

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