Thai DPM:Parliament will decide on amnesty bill

BANGKOK, November 2 (TNA) - Thai Deputy Prime Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana says that the Parliament will decide whether the controversial amnesty bill should be finally passed into law. In response to ongoing protests against the draft amnesty bill, Phongthep told journalists that the draft bill, which was approved by the House of Representatives on early Friday morning, needs to be further deliberated by the Senate, in which it may be revised. Phongthep explained that parliamentary processes, not the government, will have the legislative authority to have the final say whether the controversial draft bill should be passed into legislation. Phongthep pointed out that the opposition camp in the Parliament can also file a petition with the Constitutional Court to decide whether the draft law can be promulgated. The deputy prime minister made the remarks after a senior US Department of State official, Scott Marshall, who oversees the Asian Pacific affairs, made a courtesy call on him at Bangkok's Government and inquired about the domestic political situation related to the amnesty bill. According to the Thai deputy premier, the senior US official expressed his understanding about the situation after he was briefed on the draft bill and ongoing street demonstrators, including those led by the main opposition Democrat Party. A highlight but most controversy of the draft amnesty bill is Section 3, which grants amnesty for all people involving in political rallies, expressions and conflicts, as well as accused wrongdoers, organizations set up after Thailand's coup d’etat on September 19, 2006 and organizations related to political incidents from January 1, 2004 to August 8, 2013. Those benefiting from the seven-session amnesty bill include exiled ex-Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and members of the September-2006 military coup, which toppled the six-year Thaksin-elected administration, but excepting those accused under Section 112 of Thailand's Criminal Code, or the lese majeste law. Earlier, amnesty bills granted only limited pardon, excluding Thaksin and other senior political leaders. (TNA)