Thai Opposition Criticizes Minister's Absence, Eyes Constitutional Court Ruling on Finance Decree

The opposition party in Thailand has criticized ministers for their absence from parliamentary questioning, citing "official duties" as an unacceptable reason. The party is closely watching the Constitutional Court's upcoming ruling on a 400 billion baht finance decree, asserting that the government must bear political responsibility if it is deemed unconstitutional. Mr. Parit Wacharasindhu, a party-list Member of Parliament, Deputy Leader of the People's Party, and Chairman of the Opposition Whip in the House of Representatives, announced that the opposition will pose three urgent questions in the upcoming parliamentary session. He noted that last week, the Ministry of Justice failed to send a minister to answer an urgent question raised by the opposition regarding alleged collusion in Senate bidding. Mr. Parit emphasized that all ministers have a constitutional duty to be accountable to Parliament, making the excuse of being busy with other duties difficult to accept, especially since parliamentary sessions and question times are scheduled in advance. He further observed that the reason many ministers do not prioritize answering urgent questions might stem from the Prime Minister himself never attending such sessions. Therefore, the Prime Minister should set an example by appearing in Parliament to fulfill his responsibilities. The details of the three urgent questions from the opposition are expected to be revealed on Thursday morning, pending updates on the parliamentary agenda and political developments. However, Mr. Parit confirmed that these issues are of significant public interest. Mr. Parit also expressed regret over the lack of a joint parliamentary session to consider the proposed amendment to Article 256/1 of the Constitution. He urged the Speaker of the Parliament to convene a meeting of the three whips to discuss other pending agenda items. He also suggested that the delay in scheduling this meeting might be related to the proposed amendment to Article 236, introduced by the People's Party, which seeks to limit the Speaker's power to reject petitions scrutinizing the performance of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). Furthermore, he called on Mr. Sophon Saram, the Speaker of the Parliament, to expedite a decision on whether to forward or reject the petition submitted by the opposition and some senators. This petition requests the Supreme Court to establish an independent committee to investigate the NACC's handling of the case involving Mr. Saksayam Chidchob's alleged stock concealment. Mr. Parit stressed the need for clarity on this matter within the current parliamentary session. Regarding the Constitutional Court's impending ruling on the decree authorizing the Ministry of Finance to borrow up to 400 billion baht, Mr. Parit stated that if the court finds it constitutional, the decree will proceed to parliamentary deliberation. The People's Party maintains its opposition, particularly to the 200 billion baht allocated for energy transition projects, arguing that such initiatives can be managed through the regular budget, subject to parliamentary oversight. However, Mr. Parit opined that if the Constitutional Court rules the decree unconstitutional, the government must assume responsibility, both in terms of managing the borrowed funds and politically, even in the absence of a direct historical precedent for such a ruling. He also noted that placing projects eligible for the regular budget within a borrowing decree undermines parliamentary oversight mechanisms, allowing the executive branch to unilaterally determine, scrutinize, and approve projects, which is contrary to the principles of checks and balances in a parliamentary system. Source: INN News