Bhumjaithai denies influencing Senate vote

Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul on Tuesday denied claims that his party was behind the Senate’s decision to retain the double majority requirement needed to win a referendum on a new constitution.
“We had nothing to do with it,” Mr Anutin said on Tuesday in response to a remark by Sen Nantana Nantavaropas that it appeared to her that someone had manipulated the vote.
Mr Anutin, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, also said that if the government wants to push for a new charter, leaders of the coalition parties must discuss the issue first.
PM’s Office Minister Chousak Sirinil previously said a joint committee is expected to be formed to thrash out differences of opinion between the Lower and Upper Houses on the size of the majority needed to pass the referendum.
Mr Chousak also said Pheu Thai would have to meet with leaders of coalition parties to discuss a push for a new charter.
He said some coalition parties have proposed amending Section 256 of the constitution to pave the way for a charter-writing body to draw up a new version.
If a new charter is drawn up this way and passed by Parliament, it could be put to a referendum straight away, Mr Chousak said.
Mr Chousak said on Tuesday that Wisut Chainarun, a Pheu Thai list-MP and chief government whip, will arrange a meeting of coalition party leaders to discuss the matter.
He also said he believed the new constitution should be drawn up and enacted during the remaining three years of the government’s term. A working panel may also be formed to discuss details of the charter-rewrite bid, he added.
On Monday, the Upper House voted 164-21 with nine abstentions to retain the double majority requirement.
The new Senate is packed with senators believed to have links to Bhumjaithai. Mr Anutin’s party was the only one that figured out how to successfully exploit the Byzantine voting system put in place by the Election Commission. As a result, 14 senators come from the party’s stronghold of Buri Ram, and dozens of others from provinces where it is well represented in the Lower House.
The “blue” bloc, a reference to Bhumjaithai, is the largest by far of the three factions in the new Upper House, with at least 150 of the 200 senators.
The double majority refers to two conditions necessary before a referendum result can be considered binding. First, more than 50% of eligible voters must have participated in the referendum, and the majority of those who cast votes must approve it.