PALANG Pracharath leader Prawit Wongsuwan did apply for leave each time he skipped a House session and in doing so is off the hook for violating the regulation on maximum absence, Naewna newspaper said today (Sep. 20).
Pol. Lt. Apat Sukhanan, secretary-general of the House of Representatives, said according to the constitution an MP must not be absent for more than one-fourth of House sessions in a 120-day term.
Officials tally how many sessions took place in each term and check whether any MPs were absent for more than one-fourth of them.
However should MPs apply for leave in advance or within seven days of a meeting having taken place and this is approved by the House Speaker even if the total is more than one-fourth of the sessions in that term this would not be considered a violation.
House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Mattha had assigned First House Speaker Pichet Chueamuangphan, who was previously the Second House Speaker, to take charge of granting leave and report back to him.
Earlier this week former Pheu Thai spokesperson Prompong Nopparit called for the counting of how many times Prawit may have skipped House meetings in the current term.
Should a complaint against Prawit be filed with the Ethics Committee it would be up to this panel to consider the matter but as far as the House is concerned he did submit leave application each time he did not attend a session and this was approved, Apat said.
The reason he gave for not attending the sessions was that he had other engagements on those days.
Asked if there are other MPs facing a similar problem, Apat said none so far because all of them do apply for leave.
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Palang Pracharath leader Prawit Wongsuwan. Top photo: Naewna, Front Page photo: INN News
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