Thai Parliament Budget Debate Stalls Amidst Government-Opposition Clash

The Thai House of Representatives is grappling with delays in the deliberation of the FY2025 budget bill, with only one article passed by the end of the final scheduled day. Bhumjaithai Party MP Thanayot Thimsawan highlighted the time disparity in the debates, noting that the opposition had consumed 16 hours, while the government used 11 hours and 30 minutes, and the committee spent 4 hours. He appealed for members to be more economical with their speaking time and to keep their contributions brief to facilitate progress. Countering this, Pheu Thai Party MP Pakornwut Udompipatsakul expressed doubt about the alignment of intentions between the parties. He suggested that if the budget debate isn't concluded today, it's not a critical issue. The Speaker, he noted, has the prerogative to either continue the session tomorrow (September 10th) as planned for the budget bill, or to cancel tomorrow's agenda to solely focus on the budget. An alternative proposed was to postpone urgent matters, such as the southern insurgency issue and the Election Commission's report, to allow more time for the budget debate. "It is natural for the opposition to debate more, as they are the ones proposing budget cuts," Pakornwut asserted. He further stressed that the right to question and reserve opinions on budget amendments is an inherent right of MPs, which the Speaker cannot curtail. He questioned the current practice of limiting discussions to a maximum of 15 minutes and advocated for a return to the original deliberation framework. He made it clear that he was not open to negotiations regarding the withdrawal of questions. Second Deputy Speaker Lertsak Phathanachaikul acknowledged the Speaker's readiness to fulfill his duties but urged both parliamentary factions to engage in constructive dialogue. He encouraged focused and concise questioning directly related to the agenda to ensure the efficiency of the proceedings. The session subsequently moved to the deliberation of Article 21, pertaining to the Ministry of Justice. Originally, September 10th was slated for urgent discussions on the southern border situation, which had been deferred from the prior week, and the presentation of the Election Commission's report. However, the ongoing delays in the budget deliberations may necessitate adjustments to these planned activities. Source: INN News