Cabinet backs two draft bills
The Cabinet yesterday approved two draft legislations and urged "quick passage" by the National Legislative Assembly as part of advance preparations for the general election later this year.
In explaining the government-sponsored bills, PM's Office Minister Thirapat Serirangsan said the first legislation was designed to repeal the junta's Announcement No 15 in order to resume the registration of new political parties."The draft should be ready for debate by lawmakers by June 20 or 21 and the government has asked for a quick passage of three readings in one session," he said. Thirapat said the registration of new parties should resume by the end of this month. Under electoral rules, parties and electoral candidates must be registered 90 days before the start of electoral campaigning. The second legislation, he said, is to sanction the referendum on the new constitution that has been rescheduled to August 19 from September 2. Under the draft, the government will allow the holding of opinion polls ahead of the vote. It has also banned vote-buying to sway the outcome of the referendum.
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