ID :
150612
Sun, 11/21/2010 - 18:23
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/150612
The shortlink copeid
PM insists on pushing for constitutional amendments
BANGKOK, Nov 21 -- As an activist group plans to rally opposing two constitutional amendments this week, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday insisted that he will take full responsibility if the situation spins out of control and that he is not creating conditions for a military coup.
Emphasing that he won't back down on the two planned constitutional amendments on the electoral system and international agreements, Mr Abhisit said he would take full responsibility if any dispute erupts later and that he is not creating a situation for the military to stage a coup as he wants to see the country to follow the same standards as other democratic nations.
The Cabinet approved the two amendments last Tuesday and they will be debated during a joint sitting of the lower and upper houses this Tuesday.
Members of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), the Yellow Shirts, have vowed to rally at parliament from Tuesday through Thursday as they oppose the amendments.
Mr Abhisit said his government had already considered that the planned amendments will not cause conflict or increase his power or destroy the judicial process and that amendments can be made to the existing 2007 Constitution which was approved by public referendum.
While the prime minister insists that he would not back down on the constitutional amendments, Suriyasai Katasila, a leading member of the PAD and also secretary-general of the New Politics Party, advised the government to withdraw them and hold a fresh public referendum.
Mr Suriyasai said the motion could turn into a political crisis as Parliament has also decided to debate a third draft amendment similar to the now scrapped 1997 constitution but proposed earlier by now jailed Weng Tojirakarn, a leader of anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), the Red Shirts.
"If the government cannot control the game it may have to dissolve Parliament”, Mr Suriyasai said.
He said this is not the way to solve the problem.
“What the government should do is to withdraw the motion and approve a budget for conducting a public referendum (on the Constitution),” Mr Suriyasai said. (MCOT online news)
Emphasing that he won't back down on the two planned constitutional amendments on the electoral system and international agreements, Mr Abhisit said he would take full responsibility if any dispute erupts later and that he is not creating a situation for the military to stage a coup as he wants to see the country to follow the same standards as other democratic nations.
The Cabinet approved the two amendments last Tuesday and they will be debated during a joint sitting of the lower and upper houses this Tuesday.
Members of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), the Yellow Shirts, have vowed to rally at parliament from Tuesday through Thursday as they oppose the amendments.
Mr Abhisit said his government had already considered that the planned amendments will not cause conflict or increase his power or destroy the judicial process and that amendments can be made to the existing 2007 Constitution which was approved by public referendum.
While the prime minister insists that he would not back down on the constitutional amendments, Suriyasai Katasila, a leading member of the PAD and also secretary-general of the New Politics Party, advised the government to withdraw them and hold a fresh public referendum.
Mr Suriyasai said the motion could turn into a political crisis as Parliament has also decided to debate a third draft amendment similar to the now scrapped 1997 constitution but proposed earlier by now jailed Weng Tojirakarn, a leader of anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), the Red Shirts.
"If the government cannot control the game it may have to dissolve Parliament”, Mr Suriyasai said.
He said this is not the way to solve the problem.
“What the government should do is to withdraw the motion and approve a budget for conducting a public referendum (on the Constitution),” Mr Suriyasai said. (MCOT online news)
