Opposition parties demand Thai government withdraw casino-legalising bill
The demand was made after a meeting of the opposition parties at Parliament on the first day of the new parliamentary session.
This was the first opposition meeting attended by the Bhumjaithai Party after it withdrew from the government.
Opposition leader and People's Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut told a press conference after the meeting that the five opposition parties discussed and agreed on four key issues:
Casino Bill: The opposition parties would join forces and use all parliamentary mechanisms to pressure the government to withdraw the casino-legalising bill, called the Comprehensive Entertainment Complex Bill. The opposition will demand that the government promise not to resend the bill to the House.
Charter Amendments: The opposition parties agreed to push for charter amendments to allow a public referendum and call for a new election after the amendments.
Amnesty for Political Prisoners: The opposition parties will form a working panel to draft a bill granting general amnesty for political cases.
No Confidence Debate: The five opposition parties agreed that the current situation was still uncertain, so they would wait for the Constitutional Court to rule in a case against Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra before deciding whether to submit a censure motion against the government.
Paetongtarn has been suspended from duty as prime minister after a group of senators petitioned the court to remove her from office for allegedly betraying the country by siding with Cambodia in border conflicts. The Constitutional Court suspended her pending its ruling.
Natthaphong said the working panel of the five opposition parties would later discuss in detail the charter amendments, amnesty bill, and a censure debate. - The Nation/ANN
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