BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand’s progressive People’s Party on Friday apologized to the public for the collapse of its efforts to achieve a new constitution, a failure punctuated by the government’s sudden dissolution of Parliament.
Leading the press conference, People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruangpanyawut vowed to contest every seat in the upcoming election, aiming to grow powerful enough to direct the course of the next government.
Natthaphong stated that the party’s primary goal—to amend the nation’s highest law to align with democratic standards—was derailed by relentless legal warfare and political maneuvering since the 2023 election, including the collapse of two previous government formations.
He pointed specifically to the recent failure of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Bhumjaithai Party (BJT), which was intended to secure charter reform but ended after BJT voted to maintain the Senate’s veto power.
Following yesterday’s parliamentary vote and the dissolution of the House, I feel disappointed, Natthaphong said. “We apologize to the public that, despite pushing this mission to the full extent, we could not achieve the ultimate goal of moving the new constitutional drafting process forward.
He urged the caretaker cabinet to hold the next election simultaneously with the first national referendum question that Parliament approved, stating it was the only way to keep the reform process alive.
Natthaphong confirmed the party’s readiness to field candidates in every province and constituency, emphasizing that his party did not enter politics merely to secure government positions.
“We are here to create change,” he affirmed, stating the goal is to make the People’s Party strong and big enough to direct the course of the next government, to take Thailand further. (TNA)
