Referendum is unconstitutional

Written by Admin on Sunday, September 7th, 2008

Referendum is unconstitutional

Opposition whip chairman Sathit Wongnongtoey on Thursday opposed the move by the Cabinet to organise a public referendum to end the political impasse, saying it was not practical and legal.

He said to ask the public whether the PAD should continue their sit-in protest was not possible because the PAD broke into the Government House. He said Article 165 of the Public Referendum Act did not allow public referendum to be carried out on the issues that are not in line with the Constitution or the issues about individuals or a group of people.

He believed the move was just the government’s tactic to buy time when it actually has almost no time left.

He suggested that the government dissolve House and hold a general election which would cost the same as the public referendum does.

The People’s Alliance for Democracy accept the Samak’s Cabinet decision to hold public referendum to sound out public opinion on the current political situation, Somsak Kosaisuk, a PAD leader said.

“The public referendum is acceptable. The PAD is willing to listen opinion from all sides. But we still stick with our demand that the government resign,” he said.

Agriculture Minister Somsak Prissanananthakul said the government did not need to heed the PAD decision.

Somsak, also Chart Thai Party deputy leader, had earlier proposed that the government conduct a public referendum on whether the government should resign or the PAD should stop the protest.

He said since House has passed the Public Referendum Act, it would be the most suitable and democratic way out of the political wrangling.