Thailand's ruling party will push for new constitution after vote to retain referendum requirements

The ruling Pheu Thai Party will meet with its coalition partners to push for a new constitution in response to the Senate on Monday voting to retain the present double majority requirement needed to win a referendum on a new supreme law. After the session, the Upper House voted 164-21 with nine abstentions to retain the double majority requirement. The Senate committee vetting the charter referendum bill also supported it. Prime Minister's Office Minister Chousak Sirinil said that 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 a referendum on the government's rewrite of the 2017 constitution. But this could delay the time frame for a national referendum, tentatively scheduled for Feb 2 next year, the same day as the election of members of provincial administrative organisations, he said.
Read the full article here: Bangkok Post