PPP plans second bid to change charter

"The PPP plans a motion on charter amendments to be submitted before the convening of the extraordinary House session on June 9," MP Supachai Phosu said.

A 12-member panel will be in charge of drafting the motion and solicit endorsement from legislators starting Monday, Supachai said.

He said the refiling of the motion was not meant as a challenge to the street protests by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), but to fulfil an election pledge to amend the charter.

Supachai said debate on the motion would not be held until the result of the planned referendum on the charter rewrite is known.

The first motion to amend the charter rewrite failed after a group of seven senators led by Suphan Buri Senator Prasit Potasuthon withdrew their support yesterday saying their decision was prompted news reports that the PAD had agreed to end its protest if the motion was dropped.

Prasit said the group had been unable to contact Buri Ram Senator Taweesak Kidbanjong and Phetchabun Senator Somporn Juman, but they might withdraw their names as well.

The withdrawal of support by the seven senators reduced number of MPs and senators supporting the motion from 131 to 124 - two less than the minimum required.

PPP MP Nisit Sinthuprai from Roi Et said his group would gather signatures to launch the motion again as they wanted the Constitution to be more democratic.

The motion needs at least 96 MPs to support it and the group is confident of reaching that number, Nisit said. However, they would drop the move if the charter rewrite was rejected in the referendum, he said.

Senator Prasit said his group would not support a fresh motion for charter amendment in the near future and would wait for the result of the national referendum on the issue.

The group earlier in the day approached PAD leaders at Parliament House to ask them to stop their protest in exchange for withdrawing support for the charter amendment.

However, the PAD leaders declined to discuss this with the senators, saying they had come to submit a petition to impeach those who supported the motion.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) has finished drafting the national referendum bill and will submit it to the Parliament president next week.

EC commissioner Praphan Naikowit said the EC had endorsed the 42-article bill.

Praphan said the EC chairman would sign his name to propose the bill to Parliament.

He said Thai expats would also be allowed to vote in the referendum.