Divisions on charter vote threshold

A joint committee will likely be formed to overcome differences of opinion between the Lower and Upper Houses on how big a majority is needed to pass a referendum on the government’s rewrite of the 2017 constitution.
Already passed by the House of Representatives, the charter referendum bill will be voted upon in the Senate at its second and third readings on Monday.
Previously, the Senate committee vetting the bill voted to switch back to a double majority after the House of Representatives approved a change to a simple majority instead.
Pheu Thai Party list-MP Wisut Chainarun, in his capacity as government chief whip, on Sunday declined to comment on the Senate committee’s decision to block the switch to a simple majority.
“And if the Senate finally backs its committee’s decision on the double majority rule in the charter referendum bill, the two Houses will have to form a joint committee to work out their differences,” he said.
Two minority senators, meanwhile, pointed to irregularities in the Senate committee’s decision and raised concerns over the possibility of deliberation dragging on and delaying the first charter referendum.
Senator Angkhana Neelapaijit said the committee’s abrupt change in stance on the Lower House-approved simple majority rule for the charter referendum surprised her.
“The committee suddenly resolved to change from the simple majority to the double majority only in its last meeting, despite supporting the simple majority at all previous meetings,” she said.
She said she was now concerned the Senate will approve this committee’s decision on Monday, which will likely prevent the first referendum from being held in time for the provincial administrative organisation elections in February next year.
Sen Nantana Nantavaropas, a committee member, said it appeared to her that someone engineered the Upper House vote.
The senator said she was determined to use Monday’s Senate meeting to communicate to the public her firm stance against the change.
Sen Chattrawat Saengphet, the committee chairman, meanwhile, shrugged off criticism that the decision was aimed at delaying the bill.