Abhisit explained the Constitutional Court’s consultation clarified that amending Section 256 is possible. The Democrat Party proposed conducting an electronic referendum to ensure broad public participation and reduce expenses. He expressed confidence that if all parties cooperate, all drafts will be able to enter parliament before the session ends.
On 20 June 2026, at Sathorn Bridge, Bangkok, Abhisit Vejjajiva, leader of the Democrat Party, spoke about progress on constitutional amendments. Previously, MPs, political parties, and Senators wishing to propose amendments to Section 256 had concerns about possible interpretations conflicting with the Constitutional Court’s ruling. On 19 June, the Constitutional Court president and panel met with representatives from the Senate and House of Representatives.
To clarify, the Constitutional Court president explained clearly that the phrase preventing parliament from letting the public directly elect drafters refers specifically to the individuals who would draft or write the constitution. However, the process allowing public participation for expressing opinions is not prohibited or restricted. The Democrat Party has proposed using electronic polling as it provides broad public involvement without excessive costs or resource use. It is anticipated that many more bills can be submitted to parliament next week.
When asked about withdrawing names from some draft proposals, Abhisit said there were initially issues because some MPs hesitated to endorse due to legal concerns. However, following clear explanations from discussions between parliamentary committees and the Constitutional Court president, it is now confirmed that no one is violating the court’s ruling. Therefore, if all parties cooperate, all draft amendments can enter parliamentary consideration before the session ends. The Democrat Party’s draft is complete, and previously nearly all necessary MPs’ names were collected, but the process stalled due to earlier uncertainties. It is expected to be submitted to parliament within next week.