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Thailand’s Lawmakers Move to Strip Senate of Power to Select Prime Minister

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On Friday Thailand’s Parliamentary House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha accepted a draught bill from lawmakers that wants to change Section 272 of Thailand’s provisional chapter to strip senators of their rights in selecting the prime minister.

Wan told a group of lawmakers led by secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon that he will urge staff to double-check the draught and the number of MPs who had endorsed it before adding it to the legislative agenda.

Chaithawat stated that the party decided to propose the draught bill to end the political impasse caused by as many as 159 senators not voting in the prime minister selection yesterday and 43 others not attending the joint sitting, which “is a clear indication that they do not wish to exercise their right and authority in the selection of the prime minister.”

The action Forward party’s legislative action is meant to break the impasse and allow Thai politics to go forward so that a new government may be formed as soon as feasible, according to Chaithawat.

He said that the party had drafted the draught law quite some time ago and decided last night to submit it to parliament today, adding that he had already contacted the Pheu Thai party, which had no objections.

He said that the identical draught law was brought to the last legislature and approved by both the Bhumjaithai and Democrat parties.

Because the draught bill proposes to change a single portion of the charter, the party secretary-general believes it will be debated quickly in parliament.

Concerning the appointment of a prime minister, Chaithawat stated that he does not know how many joint sittings will be required to resolve the situation, but added that the party will do everything possible and will consider new solutions.

He further refuted Senator Prapanth Koonmee’s argument that Pita could not be renominated for prime minister, citing Rule 41 of the legislative rules, which specifies that a defeated motion cannot be resubmitted during the same parliamentary session.

He stated that Rule 41 cannot be applied to the Constitutionally mandated nomination of the Prime Minister.

Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party could lead coalition government

Meanwhile, If the Move Forward Party and its leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, fail to win the parliamentary selection of the new prime minister, the Pheu Thai Party has a fair possibility of becoming the leader of a new coalition government, according to a political science expert on Friday.

According to Olarn Thinbangtieo of Burapha University, as the party with the second-highest number of House seats, Pheu Thai will be able to justify a move to take over from the MFP and establish a new coalition, maybe with some other big parties outside the MFP-led alliance.

According to him, the present alliance consists of eight parties, including Pheu Thai.

“All Pheu Thai has to do is wait and see which option is best for it — its own prime ministerial candidate or that of another party [with which it will form a new political alliance],” Mr Olarn explained.

If Mr Pita fails to win the prime minister vote on many occasions, Pheu Thai may have to decide whether to stay with the MFP-led alliance or build a new alliance with parties such as Bhumjaithai or Palang Pracharath, he said.

If Pheu Thai chooses to stay in the same political alliance but seizes the opportunity to propose its prime ministerial candidate in a new prime ministerial ballot, the party may not receive enough votes from the Senate, according to Mr Olarn.

Mr Olarn said the likelihood of MFP supporters coming to the streets after Mr Pita failed Thursday’s vote was low at this stage because Mr Pita has the opportunity to run for prime minister again.

He claimed that the debate before MPs and senators voted on Mr Pita, the lone nominee for the parliamentary selection for the job, was pointless because those who voted had already seemingly made up their minds.

Wanwichit Boonprong of Rangsit University, Stithorn Thananithichot of King Prajadhipok’s Institute, and Thanaporn Sriyakul of Kasetsart University all agreed with Mr Olarn.

They agreed that senators who abstained or voted no in Thursday’s session cited MFP’s opposition to Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese majeste law, as the reason they would not back Mr Pita as the country’s new prime minister.

Furthermore, the academics believed Mr Pita and the MFP had no room to back down from their Section 112 stance after making it a central element of their election campaign.

 Move Forward Party  stands firm on Article 112 amendment

The Move Forward Party (MFP) has vowed that it would not abandon its plan to change Section 112 of the Criminal Code, widely known as the lese majeste statute, claiming that the senators have set a trap for the party.

Chaithawat Tulathon, secretary-general of the MFP, claimed on Friday that he had met with important Pheu Thai members to discuss how to push for MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat to become the next prime minister.

They agreed to continue nominating Mr Pita in a second round of vote in parliament set for Wednesday, he said, adding that attempts will be made to garner more senators’ support for Mr Pita.

Mr Pita’s nomination for prime minister failed to garner enough support in parliament on Thursday.

Section 112 was mentioned as the primary reason for numerous senators’ refusal to support his nomination.

Mr Pita, on the other hand, insisted that the party would proceed with its plan to modify the law, and that he would strive to obtain the necessary support before the next round of voting.

Mr Chaithawat also restated the party’s position on an amended bid on Friday, saying it was one of the promises made before the May 14 election.

“Moreover, even if we announce that we will back down, I doubt senators will vote for Mr Pita.”

“The senators have preconceived notions about us.” Even if they don’t criticise us on the topic [Section 112], they’ll find other reasons to attack us.

“There are reports that old power groups are attempting to exert pressure on and control over senators in order to form an alternative coalition government.”

“Old power groups and major business establishments do not want Move Forward to be the new government,” Mr Chaithawat explained.

Senator Kittisak Rattanawaraha stated on Friday that if Mr Pita is nominated for a second round of voting next Wednesday, the outcome will be the same as it was on Thursday.

Furthermore, the Election Commission petitioned the Constitutional Court last Wednesday to rule on Mr Pita’s eligibility in light of the iTV shareholding incident.

A stakeholder in a media organisation is prohibited by the constitution from running in a general election.

The same court also accepted for consideration a petition filed by lawyer Theerayut Suwankesorn, who claimed that the MFP’s policy of amending Section 112 violates Section 49 of the constitution, which forbids citizens from exercising their rights and freedoms to topple the constitutional monarchy.

“If Mr Pita is nominated again on July 19, he will not receive senators’ votes, and possibly not even the votes of the 13 who voted for him on Thursday,” Mr Kittisak said.

”Instead, the runner-up party should be given the opportunity to select its prime ministerial candidate for the vote,” Mr Kittisak said, referring to the Pheu Thai Party.

He went on to explain that even if the MFP agreed to withdraw its quest to alter Section 112, he would not trust it because the party has been persistent on amending the law for the previous few years.

Another senator, Prapan Koonme, said Mr Pita could not be nominated for a PM vote on Wednesday since he did not garner enough support in Thursday’s vote.

Mr Prapan cited parliamentary rule 41, which states that “any motion that is dropped cannot be resubmitted to parliament during the same parliamentary session, except for a motion that parliament has yet to vote on or a motion that is allowed by the parliament president who decides that the circumstances have changed.”

In light of this, Mr Prapan stated that the regulation also applies to the motion about Mr Pita’s nomination for a vote on Thursday.

 

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Millennials in Canada Have Turned their Backs on Justin Trudeau

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Millennials are increasingly distancing themselves from Trudeau
Millennials are increasingly distancing themselves from Trudeau - CBC Image

Justine Trudeau and his Liberal Party are currently engaged in a fierce battle for second place against Jagmeet Singh’s socialist NDP, as both parties find themselves trailing by 20 points behind Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.

A recent poll indicates that 38% of Canadians consider Trudeau to be the most ineffective leader the nation has encountered in over fifty years. An impressive 47% of Canadian Millennials indicated they would support Poilievre if an election were to take place today, while nearly half of all Canadians express a desire for an election to be called this year.

Pierre Poilievre’s strong appeal among young voters can be attributed primarily to economic factors: soaring inflation, a pressing cost-of-living crisis, and the challenge of housing affordability are pushing many away from the Liberals, who have held power for nearly nine years.

According to UnHeard, Millennials are increasingly distancing themselves from Trudeau due to his stringent measures aimed at controlling the internet to combat alleged disinformation, as well as his climate change initiatives, notably the carbon tax.

protest in downtown Toronto against mass immigration took place on Canada Day

Protest in downtown Toronto against mass immigration on Canada Day – TNC Image

An increasing number of Canadians are becoming aware of Trudeau’s ineffective policies and his approach to mass immigration. This past summer, there was significant outrage among parents of teenagers and young adults as they observed their children remaining at home without jobs.

The primary concern stemmed from the fact that most low-skilled and entry-level positions were being filled by unskilled, temporary foreign workers, predominantly from India.

There has been a notable rise in criminal activities linked to international students and unvetted temporary residents who are becoming involved with Punjabi gangs in Canada, contributing to a surge in auto thefts nationwide.

Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives are actively seeking to alter Trudeau’s approach to mass immigration and prioritize the construction of more housing should they come into power.

Significantly, Pierre Poilievre is perceived as more trustworthy than Trudeau, with over half of Canadians characterizing Poilievre as “open and honest about his actions, decisions, and intentions,” while only 39% share that sentiment regarding Trudeau.

The characteristics in question may shed light on Poilievre’s favorable polling, particularly among younger voters and women, who have historically leaned towards the Liberals or the NDP rather than the Conservatives.

The Liberal Party’s support has dwindled to an estimated 7% of Canadians, revealing a significant number of disillusioned voters eager for transformation. Poilievre is emerging as the type of leader that resonates with the desires of many Canadians.

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U.N. Special Rapporteur Calls on Thailand’s Banks to Cut-Off Myanmar Junta

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UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews speaks during a press conference after a meeting with Thailand's Parliamentary Committee

The U.N special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar has said the Bank of Thailand, commercial banks, and the anti-money laundering office are working on measures to stop the Myanmar Junta from acquiring weapons through Thailand’s banking system.

Tom Andrews the U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, said that some banks commercial in Thailand had aided Myanmar Junta’s by facilitating transactions that supplied military equipment to the Junta through the international banking system.

He called on the Bank of Thailand and financial institutions to do more to stop Myanmar’s junta acquiring weapons which they use on civilians to maintain power.

The special rapporteur was in Bangkok to address a parliamentary committee on security, he called on the Thai government to stop financial transactions that help supply weapons to Myanmar’s junta in line with a plan promoted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that sets out an end to violence as a first step toward peace.

In his 2023 report “The Billion Dollar Death Trade,” Andrews noted that Singapore had implemented a clear policy opposing the transfer of weapons to Myanmar.

Thailand's Banks

Thai Baht – File Image

Thailand’s Banks Lacked Clear Policy

As a result, exports of weapons and related materials from Singapore-registered entities using the formal banking system dropped from almost U.S. $120 million in fiscal year 2022 to just over $10 million over the next 12 months.

However, he said Thailand had no explicit policy position opposing weapons transfer to the Myanmar Junta, which saw exports from Thai-registered entities more than double in 2023, from just over $60 million to nearly $130 million.

He called on Thai Government to conduct a thorough investigation into transfers as Singapore had done into its companies’ dealings.

Andrews told the the committee that five Thai commercial banks and Thai-based companies were assisting Myanmar’s junta obtain weapons, dual-technology items and jet fuel, enabling Military Junta to conduct atrocities against the people.

But said he had found no evidence that the Thai government was involved or was aware of the transactions or that Thai commercial banks had knowledge.

Thailand's Banks

Photo courtesy of The Nation

Banks Condemn Myanmar Junta Violence

Meanwhile representatives from Thailand’s central bank, anti-money laundering office and the commercial banks named in the report were also present at the parliamentary meeting at government house in Bangkok.

A representative of the Bank of Thailand said officials were working with the commercial banks and the anti-money laundering office to make sure that enhanced oversight was properly practiced.

The Thai Bankers Association that was also at the parliamentary meeting said it did not have the means to investigate and monitor such irregularities beyond Thailand’s borders.

Mr. Pongsit Chaichatpornsuk, a Thai Bankers Association representative told the committee that If government security agencies tell us, we will stop transactions. We don’t support arms procurement by Myanmar Junta or any military government to violate human rights.

Thailand, which shares a long border with Myanmar and hosts many thousands of refugees fleeing conflict there, has tried to promote dialogue between Myanmar’s military rulers and opposition forces but no progress has been made.

This Article was first published in RFA

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People Rushing Sign Online Petition to Impeach South Korea’s President Crash Site

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South Korea's President

The Speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea said in a statement that an online petition calling for South Korea’s President Mr. Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment crashed due to the enormous number of individuals attempting to sign the petition. Saying the National Assembly would resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

Since the petition was launch on the National Assembly’s website on June 20, more than 811,000 people have signed it. The petition urges Parliament to introduce legislation to impeach President Yoon on the grounds that he is unfit for office.

Late on June 30, National Assembly Speaker Mr. Woo Won-shik issued an apology for the disturbance and stated that Parliament would take action to protect the public’s fundamental rights.

People attempting to access the petition on July 1 experienced delays of up to four hours. At one point, an error message indicated that more than 30,000 individuals were waiting to access the site.

South Korea’s Parliament Hesitant

The online petition accuses Yoon of corruption, escalating the risk of conflict with North Korea, and endangering South Koreans’ health by failing to prevent Japan from leaking treated radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant.

By law, Parliament must assign every petition signed by more than 50,000 people to a committee, which will then decide whether to put it to a vote in the assembly.

However, the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in Parliament, is hesitant to turn the petition into an impeachment bill, according to media reports, with a spokesperson stating that the party has yet to address the topic.

The Parliament can impeach a president with a two-thirds majority. The Constitutional Court then deliberates the motion and decides whether to remove or reinstall the president.

Meanwhile, on Monday Reuters reported North Korea criticized a joint military exercise performed this month by South Korea, Japan, and the United States, according to official media, saying such drills demonstrate the three nations’ alliance has evolved into “the Asian version of NATO”.

On Thursday, the three countries began large-scale combined military drills named “Freedom Edge” featuring navy destroyers, fighter fighters, and the nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, with the goal of strengthening defenses against missiles, submarines, and air strikes.

The drill was designed at a three-way meeting at Camp David last year to boost military cooperation amid concerns on the Korean peninsula caused by North Korea’s weapons testing.

Pyongyang will not overlook the strengthening of a military bloc led by the United States and its allies, and it would respond aggressively and decisively to defend regional peace, according to North Korea’s foreign ministry, as reported by KCNA.

 

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