People’s Party spokesman Parit Wacharasindhu (left) and deputy party leader Sirikanya Tansakun attend a parliamentary meeting in Bangkok on Sept 3. (Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut)
The People’s Party has decided to hit the brakes on its push to amend constitutional articles dealing with ethical standards for political officeholders, thanks to an unexpected U-turn by the Pheu Thai Party. According to party spokesman Parit Wacharasindhu, the main opposition party prefers to temporarily shelve this contentious topic to prevent it from becoming a sticking point that could cause other crucial proposals to lose support.
Parit emphasized that the party is vigorously advocating for six other constitutional revisions. These include a bill designed to thwart future military coups, one aimed at reforming the armed forces, and another to prevent collusion between the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the government.
“The likelihood of these amendments being ratified before the next general election may be slim, but it’s vital for all political parties to recognize their importance and collaborate to bring them to fruition,” he stated.
Critics had earlier dismissed the efforts to amend articles related to ethics as serving the personal interests of the coalition-leading Pheu Thai Party and the People’s Party. However, Parit insisted that the real goal is to ensure that the Constitutional Court and other independent bodies can’t wield “ethics” as a weapon to unfairly target any political party.
In recent times, numerous “ethics” complaints have been lodged against Pheu Thai figures, including the prime minister, by petitioners eager to topple the party. Concurrently, the People’s Party faces its own battles; around 44 members of the Move Forward Party, the predecessor of the main opposition party, are under the microscope of anti-graft investigators for ethics complaints. These complaints cite their support for amendments to the lese-majeste law, a key factor cited by the charter court when it dissolved Move Forward.
According to Parit, the People’s Party remains steadfast in its belief that it’s essential to curtail the monopolistic power of courts and other organizations over the ethical accountability of officeholders.
Meanwhile, sources from Government House suggest that Pheu Thai is poised to abandon its plan to amend the organic laws governing political parties and the NACC. This decision follows evaluations by key party figures, who anticipate strong resistance from coalition partners to these bills.
Instead, Pheu Thai has reverted to its initial plan: revising the 2017 constitution. The party aims to secure the changes it desires by rewriting the sections, except chapters 1 and 2, which concern the monarchy. The source mentioned that the party is currently waiting for the Senate to pass a bill on a charter referendum before pushing to organize the first referendum on their proposed charter amendment plan.
This just proves that Pheu Thai is playing political games. No party really cares about ethical standards when power is on the line.
That’s a hot take, but I think they’re just being strategic. They need to maintain support to get anything passed.
Strategic or not, it sets a bad precedent. It makes you wonder if any reforms will ever be accomplished.
Both of you have valid points. Politics is about compromise, but compromising ethics is dangerous.
This is typical of Pheu Thai. They say they want to make the country better, but then they chicken out when things get tough.
Be fair, they have to work with other parties to get anything done. You can’t just bulldoze through constitutional amendments.
True, but they need to show some backbone. Backing down now will hurt their credibility.
It’s more complicated than that. Legislative processes require compromise. Rushing through amendments might backfire.
Isn’t it suspicious that ethics always become a big deal only when political rivals are involved? It’s like a tool to clean out the competition.
Exactly! The so-called ethics violations are just convenient weapons. This is all political theatre.
Glad someone else sees it. But how do we fix this? Reform seems impossible.
Transparency and public accountability mechanisms might help. But who will bell the cat?
Amending the constitution is essential, but I think focusing on military coups and judicial reforms is more urgent than ethics right now.
I agree. Thailand has a history of coups. We need to address immediate threats first.
Precisely, ignoring coup prevention just leaves us vulnerable to future instability.
But without ethical standards, even anti-coup amendments can be subverted. Both are crucial.
Why can’t Pheu Thai just be honest about their motives? It’s obvious they’re protecting their own.
They’re politicians; honesty isn’t part of the job description.
Unfortunately true, but it’s frustrating. People deserve better.
Cynical but accurate. Until voters demand better, this cycle will continue.
If Pheu Thai abandons these reforms, they could lose a lot of young voters who supported Move Forward.
Exactly, the youth are tired of conservative politics. Change is inevitable.
Then they need to rally young voters to keep the pressure on. Youth engagement can be a game-changer.
Youth are important, but they need to understand the intricacies of politics. Change takes time.
I get that compromises are needed, but this feels like surrender. Ethics are as important as any other reform.
It’s funny how Pheu Thai backs down right when pressure is coming from all sides. Coincidence? I think not.
Agreed, this ‘strategic delay’ smells fishy. What are they really afraid of?
Probably more ethics complaints. They don’t want more scrutiny right now.
I don’t get why ethics are such a big deal. Shouldn’t lawmakers focus on improving people’s lives?
Ethics are foundational. Without ethics, any policy to improve lives can be corrupted.
Oh, that makes sense. So it’s like rules for playing fair?
Does anyone else feel like this is just another delay tactic? They don’t truly want reform.
I want to believe they do, but actions speak louder than words. This does feel like a stall.
Exactly my point! We need to hold them accountable.
Maybe this setback will spark more public interest and pressure for genuine reform.
If Pheu Thai can’t handle opposition now, how will they govern effectively? Weak leadership is the worst.
Ethical standards are critical! Without them, any leader can manipulate the system.
So true. Ethics ensure accountability. Pheu Thai needs to be more transparent about their actions.
Definitely. We need leaders we can trust. Compromise shouldn’t mean sacrificing core values.
Pheu Thai is trapped. They need allies to get anything done but lose credibility every time they compromise.
The People’s Party is doing the right thing focusing on other amendments. Ethics can be tackled once we stabilize the political landscape.
I’m tired of politics as usual. When will politicians start being straightforward with their constituents?
Transparency is rare in politics. The public needs to demand it.
Exactly. Public pressure is the only way to force change.
Easier said than done. Citizens are often too distracted or apathetic to pressure politicians effectively.
This is a setback, yes, but not the end. The fight for ethical reform isn’t over.