By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE REPEATED LACK OF A QUORUM in the House of Representatives has obviously followed Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s absence in the first place, commented an opposition lawmaker today (Dec. 19).
Pheu Thai MP Yutthapong Charatsathian charged that Prayut has rarely attended House meetings and instead assigned cabinet members to respond to interpellations on his behalf but his absence has ironically prompted many government MPs and even the assigned ministers themselves to skip it, thus rendering the lack of a quorum.
In particular, many MPs of Palang Pracharath Party, the largest coalition partner in government, have often skipped House sessions only because the premier and most cabinet members had not shown up though they were basically supposed to attend week in, week out, according to the Pheu Thai MP of Mahasarakham.
Despite desperate efforts of government whips, those MPs of the coalition parties have often managed to skip House meetings specifically during floor deliberation on what may have been viewed as ”unimportant” items of agenda. The lack of a quorum has finally forced the House speakers to adjourn the House meetings and called it a day.
The number of government MPs has been even fewer in the absence of the premier and cabinet members, the opposition MP commented.
Yutthapong insisted that Prayut should have attended the House meetings to directly respond to interpellations with legislators about current affairs such as the pandemic situation, flooding and farm product prices.
The Pheu Thai MP said the Palang Pracharath-led coalition government could not put the blame on the opposition for the repeated lack of a House quorum as long as the former outnumbers the latter.
Prayut who has risen to power by way of a military coup seven and a half years ago has been invariably criticised for literally remaining aloof from parliament.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Photo: Siam Rath
Home Page: Pheu Thai MP Yutthapong Charatsathian. Photo: Matichon
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