House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha has ordered the adjournment of today’s emergency parliamentary session to debate amending the constitution—specifically to revoke Article 272, which grants the Senate the power to vote for the Prime Minister—after failing to reach a consensus on a motion proposed by an MP from the Move Forward Party (MFP) to reconsider parliament’s previous ruling to prohibit re-nomination of candidates.

Before the parliament could debate the amendment of Article 272, Rangsiman Rome, an MFP MP, submitted a motion proposing that parliament reconsider its previous resolution to prohibit the re-nomination of PM candidates, arguing that even if there have been appeals to the court, parliament has the authority to make its own decision. The junta-appointed Senate, however, opposed the motion.

Noor Matha argued that the matter is in the hands of the Constitutional Court and therefore parliament should wait for the court’s decision.

After failing to reach a consensus on the motion, Noor Matha ordered the adjournment of the parliamentary session, thereby also postponing the debate on amending Article 272.

Initially, parliament was unable to reach a quorum to commence the session. It was not until 10:20 a.m. that the required number of members was reached and the session could begin, even though the Senate did not fully attend.

MFP Secretary General Chaithawat Tulathon stated that as a party that had supported the nomination of the House Speaker, he is concerned that the Speaker’s action would appear ungraceful.

“I hope that the conduct of meetings will be better from now on,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, the PM vote has been postponed until the Constitutional Court renders a verdict on re-nomination of candidates on August 16.