Leaders of the Bhumjaithai and Chart Thai Pattana parties agreed on Wednesday to work together in pushing for amendments to some parts of the constitution, Chart Thai Pattana leader Chumpol Silpa-archa said after the meeting.
"We would like to announce our standpoint, that we will work together in engaging in political activities in the next election and in bringing changes to the constitution," Mr Chumpol said.
Mr Chumpol said the two parties agree that Section 190, which requires the government to seek approval from the parliament before committing to foreign agreements, be amended. The two parties also call for a change in the electoral system from multi-seat to single-seat constituencies, he said.
"We both agree that amending these two parts of the charter will lead to more effective administration," he said.
Mr Chumpol said he was confident that they would have enough votes from MPs to support a charter amendment motion.
"We are sure that we will get more than 95 votes," he said.
The Chart Thai Pattana Party will meet with the Puea Pandin Party on Thursday and Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana on Jan 25 to discuss the issue, he added.
Key members of both parties were at the meeting. They included Bhumjaithai Party leader Chavarat Charnvirakul, Newin Chidchob, Somsak Thepsuthin, Banharn Silpa-archa, Sanan Kachornprasart and Somsak Prissanananthakul.
Democrat secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban was also spotted at Siam City hotel where the meeting was held. However, Mr Suthep denied he was there for the meeting, saying he was having lunch with his daughter and a few party MPs.
Mr Suthep said that the Democrat Party will inform its coalition partners of its position on charter amendments on Monday after a meeting this weekend.
Mr Suthep added that he would not meet with the coalition partners before that day.
Opposition Puea Thai party-list MP Chalerm Yubamrung said his party will continue to boycott the move to amend the 2007 constitution and stands firm on its demand for the restoration of the 1997 charter.
“Puea Thai will never join the process. To do so would be self-destructive because all party members opposed the 2007 charter when they were members of the now dissolved Thai Rak Thai party,” Mr Chalerm said.
Asked about the move to seek support for constitutional amendments from key members of the coalition by Banharn Silpa-archa, former leader of the disbanded Chart Thai party, Mr Chalerm said that was a matter Mr Banharn to decide. It had nothing to do with Puea Thai.
However any move to change two, or seven six, points of the charter would not lead to national reconciliation as claimed.
“Rewriting the charter will not benefit the Thai people. I believe the constitution will be altered only in a future world,” the veteran politician said.
He called on former political allies to again join forces with Puea Thai if they fail to pressure the Democrats to comply with their charter change demands. Calling a general election was the best option, he said.
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