Page:Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (2560BE).pdf/60

Rh Section 172. For the purpose of maintaining national or public safety or national economic security, or averting public calamity, the King may issue an Emergency Decree which shall have force as an Act.

The issuance of an Emergency Decree under paragraph one shall be made only when the Council of Ministers is of the opinion that it is anemergency ofnecessity and urgency which is unavoidable.

In the subsequent sitting of the National Assembly, the Council of Ministers shall submit the Emergency Decree to the National Assembly for its consideration without delay. If it is out of session and it would be a delay to wait for the opening of an ordinary session, the Council of Ministers must proceed to convoke an extraordinary session of the National Assembly in order to expeditiously consider whether to approve or disapprove the Emergency Decree. If the House of Representatives disapproves it or approves it but the Senate disapproves it and the House of Representatives reaffirms its approval by the votes of not more than one-half of the total number of the existing Members of the House of Representatives, the Emergency Decree shall lapse, prescribed that it shall not affect any act done during the enforcement of such Emergency Decree.

If the Emergency Decree under paragraph one has the effect of amending or repealing any provisions of any law and such Emergency Decree has lapsed in accordance with paragraph three, the provisions of the law in force before the amendment or repeal shall continue to be in force as from the day the disapproval of such Emergency Decree is effective.

If the House of Representatives and the Senate approve the Emergency Decree, or if the Senate disapproves it but the House of Representatives reaffirms its approval by the votes of more than one-half of the total number of the existing Members of the House of Representatives, such Emergency Decree shall continue to have the force of an Act.

The Prime Minister shall cause the approval or disapproval of the Emergency Decree to be published in the Government Gazette. In case of disapproval, it shall be effective as from the day following the date of its publication in the Government Gazette.

The consideration of an Emergency Decree by the House of Representatives and the Senate and reaffirmation of an approval of an Emergency Decree must take place at the first opportunity in the sittings of the respective Houses.

Section 173. Before the House of Representatives or the Senate approves any Emergency Decree, Members of the House of Representatives or Senators comprising not less than one-fifth of the total number of the existing members of each House have the right to submit an opinion to the President of the House of which they are members that the Emergency Decree is not in accordance with section 172 paragraph one, and the