Bangkok: "Pharadon" has firmly rejected accusations of betraying the People's Party, asserting that the Bhumjaithai Party is genuinely committed to amending the constitution. He stated that the recent dissolution of parliament will not interfere with border operations or disaster relief efforts, and acknowledged that the second phase of the co-payment scheme will need to be postponed.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Paradorn Prisnanantakul, the Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office and Member of Parliament for Ang Thong from the Bhumjaithai Party, addressed the criticism following the Prime Minister's announcement to dissolve parliament amidst claims of lacking sincerity in advancing constitutional amendments. He confirmed that the Bhumjaithai Party is the party most committed to progressing with constitutional amendments and has maintained its adherence to the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the People's Party.
The party has been working to overcome all obstacles since the committee stage. The vote on Article 256/28 on December 11th presented a challenge as Senators indicated they would not support it in the third reading if they lost in the second. This made securing the necessary 67 votes from Senators improbable. Consequently, the party aligned its vote with the Senators' reserved stance to ensure the constitutional amendment process could proceed.
Addressing claims of betrayal, Mr. Paradorn stated that such accusations were unfounded because the Memorandum of Agreement did not detail each article but focused on the shared goal of amending the constitution. He highlighted the submission of the urgent motion regarding the referendum question and the Cabinet's actions on December 9th as proof of the party's commitment. He assured that even after the dissolution of parliament, the caretaker government can perform duties related to security, war, and disaster management as usual, mitigating any public concerns about security along the Thai-Cambodian border.
Regarding the second phase of the co-payment scheme, Mr. Paradorn acknowledged that it "must be put on hold" due to constraints from election laws. Despite Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapha's preparations to present it to the Cabinet on December 16th, the dissolution of parliament has halted its implementation.