MFP introduces bills to reduce military power, prevent coups

The Move Forward Party (MFP) introduced three significant charter amendment bills aimed at mitigating the impact of the military regime’s orders, preventing future coups, and abolishing the junta-supported 20-year national strategy.

An MFP list-MP, Parit Wacharasindhu, emphasised that although the Pheu Thai-led government has committed to rewriting a new charter, this process could take up to two years. The MFP believes it is crucial to amend certain sections immediately to address urgent issues.

Parit stated that the three bills are designed to alleviate the consequences of the 2014 coup, and political parties are expected to support them. The bills will first be presented to the Lower House for deliberation before being passed on to the Senate.

One of the bills proposes the abolition of Section 279 of the charter, which legitimises all announcements and orders of the now-defunct National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and its leader, said Parit.

“If Section 279 is abolished, individuals affected by the NCPO’s actions will have the ability to challenge junta orders that have violated civil rights and liberties.”

The MFP also aims to push for another law that seeks to cancel NCPO orders deemed not beneficial to the public. This bill was proposed last July, but it was classified as a finance-related bill, necessitating the prime minister’s approval to advance.

Another bill focuses on preventing and countering future coups.

This legislation would permit state officials to disobey orders from those attempting to seize power and would prohibit courts from recognising a coup as a legitimate means of establishing a government. It would also ban amnesty for coup makers and allow individuals to bring treason charges against them.

Parit said that the party will advocate for anti-coup measures in the constitution, push for related laws such as military reforms, and raise public awareness that conflicts should be resolved through political mechanisms.

The final bill proposes abolishing the 20-year national strategy and the national reform plan, which are covered under Sections 16 and 65 of the constitution.

While the MFP agrees that Thailand needs a long-term development strategy, Parit pointed out that the current strategy was formulated during the military regime without sufficient public input, reported Bangkok Post.