- Published: 13/06/2012 at 12:00 AM
However, she said the government needed to wait for the right time to push for its passage.
Several Pheu Thai Party members were upset with the decision by the parliament president to put off a vote on the charter amendment bill during the joint sitting of parliament yesterday.
- EDITORIAL: Time to reveal amendment details
A government source said Ms Yingluck told a cabinet meeting yesterday that the government still stands by its policy of amending the constitution and pushing for the passage of the reconciliation bills.
The source said Ms Yingluck was responding to Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister and red shirt co-leader Nattawut Saikuar.
Mr Nattawut disagreed with the premier's decision to delay a vote on the third reading of the charter amendment bill.
Earlier, the Constitution Court ordered parliament to suspend deliberation of the bill.
Mr Nattawut said delaying the vote was unacceptable to the government's supporters and such a decision would eventually turn them away from the government.
But Ms Yingluck said the country would not move forward if the government failed to close the parliament session and failed to defuse conflict over the issue.
She stressed the need for the government to foster peace and harmony.
A joint sitting of parliament yesterday failed to support a motion to debate whether the Constitution Court's order suspending the third reading of the charter amendment bill was binding on parliament.
The motion, which was proposed by Mukdahan Senator Jit Sriyohamukdathanapong, drew fierce opposition from the Democrats.
However, Parliament President Somsak Kiatsuranont eventually asked parliament members to decide whether to take up the issue for deliberation as proposed by the senator.
At the time, 644 parliamentarians were present in the chamber. The motion needed one half of the chamber to support it.
But before the vote, Democrat Party MPs and some other parliament members walked out in protest, leaving only 323 in the chamber.
Parliament voted 319-1 in support of the motion.
It was subsequently dropped as it failed to get the required 322 votes.
There were 146 senators in the chamber before the vote. When the vote was called, only 46 senators remained after the walkout.
A total of 41 voted in favour of the motion with one voting against it.
Two senators abstained and two did not cast their vote.
MPs from the coalition Bhumjaithai Party were also split on the matter.
Those led by Newin Chidchob and by Anuthin Charnvirakul left the chamber while seven MPs of the Matchima faction led by Somsak Thepsuthin and the Ratchaburi faction led by Sora-at Klinprathum voted in support.
Pheu Thai MP for Udon Thani Thiebjutha Khaokham was the only MP from the ruling party who did not cast her vote.
Mr Somsak then called for the deliberation of draft agreements to be signed with foreign countries as required by Section 190 of the constitution.
Before the vote, Mr Somsak stressed that the third reading of the charter amendment bill and deliberation of the reconciliation bills will not take place during the current session.
"My decision was based on the best interests of the country and for the sake of reconciliation," he said.
Pheu Thai list MP and red shirt co-leader Korkaew Pikulthong said red-shirt MPs in the party were disappointed with Mr Somsak's decision to put off the third reading.
He said Mr Somsak's announcement was tantamount to allowing the judiciary to dominate the legislative branch.
The cabinet yesterday approved a draft royal decree to conclude the current parliamentary session on Tuesday, as proposed by the government whips, government spokeswoman Sansanee Nakpong said.
The Secretariat of the Prime Minister will forward the draft decree to His Majesty the King for endorsement.
Secretary-general of the Council of State Atchaporn Jaruchinda, the government's legal adviser, said the council has been directed to write to the Constitution Court to clarify confusion about the charter rewrite bid.
He said the government's charter amendment bill only seeks to change Section 291 of the constitution to create a constitution drafting assembly.
The bill guarantees that the constitutional monarchy will be left untouched following the amendment.
Share your thoughts
- Discussion 1 : 13/06/2012 at 04:04 PM
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These MP are supposed to put the views of there electorate forward when voting not there own personal views likes or dislikes.
- Discussion 2 : 13/06/2012 at 02:22 PM
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D13 Fungus - The reason the DEMS took to the stage so to speak, was because the PTP refused to "engage in substantial discussions to move the country forward". The PTP preferred to dictate terms as they alone wanted them.
We can only hope that Yingluck and Somsak are true to their words and open the door to discussion. Once the door has been open, I am sure you will see the Democrats actively engaged in the conversation.
- Discussion 3 : 13/06/2012 at 12:16 PM
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This idea of trying to run the country from abroad, isn't working out too well is it?
It's time we searched for a country leader from within.
- Discussion 4 : 13/06/2012 at 11:07 AM
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A good decision by the PM. Now that things have "cooled off" we can only hope they do not become "heated" by more disruptive and childish tactics of democrat MPs and the inaptly named peoples alliance for democracy.
In the new session of Parliament the country will be expecting Khun Mark to keep his team of MPs under control and actually engage in substantial discussions to move the country forward ie; become a meaningful and productive opposition.
- Discussion 5 : 13/06/2012 at 09:59 AM
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Regardless of what you think personally of YS, she is not stupid and she is smart in assessing potential back lashes and planning her stategy.
- Discussion 6 : 13/06/2012 at 09:33 AM
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D1@becky32 Given the maths it is clear that not all the elected senators voted in favour neither did all the coalition MPs - so it a bit hard to use the invisible hand argument. The article states that all PT MP except the MP for Udon Thani cast their vote - I did wonder how the PM (and her entourage) voted as she seemed to spend yesterday inspecting flood defences
- Discussion 7 : 13/06/2012 at 09:27 AM
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Timing isnt the issue .Morality is .
- Discussion 8 : 13/06/2012 at 09:15 AM
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@Browser-'There is a golden opportunity now before the next parliamentary session for the parties to do what parliamentarians are meant to do - to work together and go through the issue in all its details'- sorry but the pessimist in me fails to imagine this happening....
Loss of face has crept in as another prime factor in the disagreement.
- Discussion 9 : 13/06/2012 at 09:14 AM
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If majority of the red shirts don't support this bill, that means many of the red shirts are thinking themselves now, they see that it is unjust as justice won't be serve to those responsible.
- Discussion 10 : 13/06/2012 at 09:11 AM
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Clearly, the key is to educate the Thai people regarding:
1] Contents 2] Implications of implementation 3] Process
Without the widespread support of Thai citizens & voters, this will just cause further division.
- Discussion 11 : 13/06/2012 at 08:39 AM
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This is a sane decision. You can feel the atmosphere lighten already. Yingluck's decision ( whether it originates from her or not ) and the reasons for doing so ( whether they tell the whole story or not ) is in effect the right one, and for that there is a momentary but welcome relief. There is a golden opportunity now before the next parliamentary session for the parties to do what parliamentarians are meant to do - to work together and go through the issue in all its details, to have the dialogue that was promised but not delivered. If that genuinely happens, then there will likely be some movement on both sides. Parliaments throughout the world - whether they be minorities, majorities, or coalitions - never function for long unilaterally. The system can't sustain that. That's a good thing. The key to every parliament is the impartially of the house speaker, because he is the only functioning window of discourse through opposition parties. Without his ear, the opposition voices cannot be heard, and the whole edifice crumbles. This is what we saw earlier. Somsak is saying the right things now. In the upcoming session he will need to back those words with action.
- Discussion 12 : 13/06/2012 at 07:53 AM
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Becky - The Thai people voted for Peua Thai. They didn't vote for this bill. When polled, 90% were against pushing it through. It's even unpopular amongst Red Shirts.
Nice to see Thaksin telling Yingluck to listen to the Dems, who suggested it was better to delay this bill.
- Discussion 13 : 13/06/2012 at 07:31 AM
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becky32 D1: each parlamentarian has exactly 1 vote. If in this matter PT could not get enough votes because the Dems walked out and some of the PT allies also walked out or did not vote, then that shows two things: First, every parlamentarian has also its own brain and can think by himself on whether something should be supported or not, no matter from which Party the idea comes. Second, having a majority in an election, does not mean that you can just get away or push through whatever you want.
This, dear becky32, whether you like it or not, is called democracy. This is how democracy works, having palamentarians from all sides using their own brain and consider whether a move is in the interest of the country and should be supported or not and then vote accordingly.
- Discussion 14 : 13/06/2012 at 07:30 AM
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It would be so nice if Ms. Yingluck was standing up to the more vocal elements of her party and being a calming influence in a time of volatility of her own volition and not just a messenger. She, along with a red shirt free PT could actually be a positive influence in Thailand if ties to her brother were severed.
- Discussion 15 : 13/06/2012 at 05:57 AM
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Actually I believe this is a smart decision as it now removed the reason for a coup from the DP side, and it now forces the court to acknowledge that the amendments comply with the provisions in the existing constitution for amendments, and that the amendments do not threaten either over throw democracy or have the intention to overthrow the monarchy as the DP has alleged.
- Discussion 16 : 13/06/2012 at 05:24 AM
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Parliament voted 319-1 in support of the motion...So what boiled down to is whose have power to run country...Democrat and invisible hands. All those people voted for PT so they won election didn't given them power...meaning people voices doesn't meant anything only Dem/invisible hands final decision! Remember when next election come people, make sure the person you've vote for can decision!
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