Lawmakers and the cabinet will hold a joint meeting on March 17 to decide whether the Constitutional Court should be asked to clear doubts over a referendum in the charter amendment process, according to House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha.
Mr Wan spoke of the planned gathering after chairing a meeting yesterday comprising representatives of the cabinet, the Senate, House of Representatives, government MPs and the opposition.
He said the next joint meeting is scheduled for March 17, and attendees will vote on whether to ask the Constitutional Court to provide legal clarity on the referendum issue.
Lawmakers have been at loggerheads over whether referendums must be conducted, and if so, how many and when before the charter can be amended.
A majority of MPs from the ruling Pheu Thai Party and the main opposition People's Party led the way in trying to amend Section 256 of the constitution in order to set up a Constitution Drafting Assembly and lay the groundwork for a new charter. However, the move in parliament was construed as an attempt to rewrite the entire charter, which requires a referendum to be held first. Several MPs insisted the uncertainty over the referendum requirement must be settled by referring the matter to the charter court.
Senator Premsak Piayura and Pheu Thai MP Wisut Chainarun filed separate motions seeking to petition the Constitutional Court to rule on the issue. However, the PP insisted amendments to Section 256 should go ahead.
The disagreement subsequently stalled a first reading vote on Section 256. Mr Wan said yesterday that the March 17 joint meeting will be a crucial session as it will set the direction of charter amendment and determine the length of the amendment process.
If the meeting resolves to send the issue for a charter court ruling, efforts in parliament connected to changing Section 256 will be suspended pending the ruling.
