The People's Party submitted two constitutional amendment bills adding Chapter 15/1 regarding the mechanism for drafting a new constitution. They reaffirm three principles: “public participation, prevention of monopolization, and no increase in special powers for the Senate.” They are confident the bills do not conflict with the Constitutional Court's ruling.
On 27 May 2026 at the Parliament, the People's Party, led by Mr. Natthapong Ruangpanyawut, the party leader, submitted two bills to amend the constitution by adding Chapter 15/1 on the mechanism for drafting a new constitution. Mr. Natthapong stated that the obstacle faced was Constitutional Court Ruling No. 18/2568 (2025), which they see as undemocratic and imposing limits on allowing the public to directly elect the constitution drafters. Therefore, to overcome this obstacle, the People's Party MPs are submitting two bills amending the constitution by adding Chapter 15/1. This is to ensure that in the first reading at Parliament, at least one bill will be included that meets the three principles they have set.
Both People's Party bills align with the three principles they announced last week.
1. Support public participation, including having constitution drafters (CDC) elected by the people.
2. Prevent monopolization or domination by any single side to ensure acceptance by all parties.
3. Do not increase special powers or conditions for the Senate in deciding the content of the new constitution.
The two constitutional amendment bills are nearly identical in all aspects except for the process of electing the CDC members. In both bills, the final CDC will consist of 150 members, but the election processes differ as follows.
Bill 1: The public votes at polling stations. They elect all 150 CDC candidates. Of these, 100 candidates are elected by constituency, using provinces as constituencies, serving as regional representatives; 50 candidates are elected by party list nationwide, representing thematic or occupational groups.
Once the list of 150 CDC candidates elected is finalized, it will be submitted to Parliament for approval. Approval must be for the entire group; Parliament cannot approve individuals selectively. If Parliament approves all 150, they will assume the role of the CDC. If not approved, a new election must be held.
Bill 2: The public votes at polling stations and elects a total of 300 CDC candidates. This includes 200 candidates elected by constituency, using provinces as constituencies as regional representatives, and 100 candidates elected by party list nationwide as thematic or occupational representatives.
After the 300 CDC candidates are elected, the list will be submitted to Parliament to select 150 members. The selection will use voting rules designed to prevent monopolization and will be conducted by secret ballot to maintain the CDC’s independence in performing its duties.
The selection method separates the 300 candidates into two groups.
- Group 1: Select from 200 constituency candidates down to 100 members.
- Group 2: Select from 100 party list candidates down to 50 members.
For the selection in each group:
- Round 1: Parliament members vote, choosing one candidate from that group. Any candidate who receives at least the minimum required votes (7 votes for Group 1 and 14 votes for Group 2) will be selected as a CDC member.
- Round 2: If there are still vacancies, Parliament votes again, selecting one candidate from those not chosen in Round 1. Candidates with the highest votes above the minimum threshold are selected in order until all positions are filled.
- If vacancies remain after Round 2, subsequent rounds follow the same procedure until all positions are filled.
The two bills share five identical provisions.
Common provisions include: 1. The CDC can form committees to assist its duties. The CDC must form a drafting committee of no more than 45 members, with at least 50% being CDC members. The other 50% may be outside experts selected by the CDC to provide expertise and experience from civil society members who were not candidates. Additionally, the CDC can form other committees as deemed appropriate, such as committees for public consultation and participation, which may include any number of CDC members or outsiders.
2. The CDC has full authority to draft the new constitution, provided it does not change the system of government or state form, as already stipulated in Section 255 of the constitution.
3. The CDC has a maximum of 360 days to complete drafting the new constitution.
4. The CDC may continue its work without being affected by dissolution of Parliament or the expiration of the House of Representatives or Senate terms.
5. After completing the draft constitution, the CDC must submit it to Parliament for approval. A majority vote of more than half of all Parliament members is required. If approved, the draft will be submitted for public referendum.
Ready to endorse if aligned with principles.
Mr. Natthapong added that People's Party MPs are willing to endorse bills from other political parties or other Parliament members seeking additional support to meet the required numbers for submission, as long as those bills align with the party’s three principles: public participation, preventing monopolization, and not increasing special powers for the Senate.