Editorial – Genuine Intent on Constitution Reform

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, as Bhumjaithai Party leader, submitted a constitutional amendment draft under Article 256 to the Parliamentary Speaker alongside party MPs. The party chief stated this aligns with the party's commitment to hearing public voices and concerns about constitution reform. Following the referendum results showing public desire for amendments, Bhumjaithai responded by becoming the first party to submit a constitutional amendment draft. Anutin confirmed the party has clearly demonstrated its sincere commitment to constitutional reform, contradicting claims of insincerity. The Bhumjaithai draft proposes a 100-member Constitutional Drafting Assembly comprising 23 experts selected through nationwide recruitment and 77 other members, with 300 reserves. For third-reading approval, it suggests lowering the Senate threshold from one-third to one-quarter to enable compromise, while maintaining Chapters 1 and 2 unchanged regarding the form of government and monarchy. Opposition bloc leaders confirmed they will submit a competing draft within a week, emphasizing three principles: maximum public participation, preventing monopolization of the constitution-making process, and refusing special privileges or enhanced Senate powers over approval. This reform effort starts fresh following the previous parliamentary process, which passed first reading but faced committee-level complications when the majority sought to remove the one-third Senate approval requirement, replacing it with simple majority vote from both chambers—a change that angered the Senate and ultimately led to the dissolution and new elections. The success of the new constitution hinges significantly on Senate approval votes, especially given the widely-known favorable relationship between Bhumjaithai, government leadership, and the Senate majority. Therefore, Anutin's decision to have Bhumjaithai submit the draft first is hoped to demonstrate genuine and serious commitment to completing the new constitutional process.