Education bill withers as final joint session of Parliament fails to count
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2023
The last joint parliamentary meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives before the next election collapsed on Friday due to a lack of quorum.
Members of both chambers convened for the final time before the term of the House of Representatives ends on March 23 to discuss a bill on education. The meeting was a resumption of one adjourned on January 24.
Members of both chambers met to vote on a revision to Article 16 of the proposed legislation made by the vetting committee.
Senate Speaker Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, who was chairing the joint meeting, called a quorum count but after 45 minutes of waiting, the parliamentarians failed to form one.
House Speaker Chuan Leekpai, who also serves as Parliament president, then took over as chair of the meeting.
He allowed Senator Tuang Antachai, who heads the bill’s drafting committee, to take the floor.
The senator said that his panel spent over a year patiently drafting the bill before managing to push it to parliament for deliberations. He thanked the parliamentarians who showed up.
A total of 320 MPs and senators turned up, three short of the required quorum of 333.
Chuan later declared the meeting adjourned.
Pornpetch then began chatting with the MPs and senators present. Some took selfies with him.
Earlier, Chuan thanked all the parliamentarians for their hard work over the past four years.
Parliament managed to pass a constitutional amendment, two organic laws, and 13 acts, as well as endorse 17 international agreements, the former prime minister said.
“There has been good cooperation, although there have been some problems near the end of the [parliamentary] session,” Chuan said, referring to frequent collapses of House sessions due to a lack of quorum.
He wished incumbent MPs success in the next general election and asked senators to continue serving as an “important force for the country”.
The current parliamentary session ends on February 28.
Chuan noted on Friday that the government has the power to call an extraordinary parliamentary session.
However, political observers see a slim chance of this happening because political parties are now focused on the general election tentatively scheduled for May 7. The election could happen earlier if the House is dissolved before its term ends.
Opposition graded higher than government for performance at Parliament debate
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2023
Academics on Friday gave higher marks to the opposition for their performance at the just-completed general debate of the House of Representatives, during which Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was the main target of attacks.
Asst Prof Chettha Subyen, secretary-general of the Social Science Association of Thailand, gave a score of 7 out of 10 to the opposition and 5 to the government.
He said that Cabinet members targeted in the debate had failed to give clear answers to the allegations against them, while the opposition MPs taking the floor were focused more on wooing votes.
The same scores – 7 for the opposition and 5 for the government – also came from political analyst Assoc Prof Sukhum Nuansukul, who is a former rector of Ramkhamhaeng University.
He, however, said that opposition MPs had focused on the government’s “old wounds” and not levelled any new allegations, while the government had a lot of weaknesses that were vulnerable to attack from the opposition.
“General Prayut failed to offer clear and concrete answers to the opposition allegations,” Sukhum said. He gave a score of 8 to the overall two days of debate.
Sukhum said that opposition MPs appeared to be focusing too much on trying to woo voter support by repeating old allegations to attack the government. He said he was convinced that voters had made their choice and the opposition approach was unlikely to change their minds.
Chettha, who is also assistant to the president of Navamindradhiraj University, made specific observations about the performance of MPs from two major opposition parties – Pheu Thai and Move Forward.
He said that while Move Forward went all-out to attack PM Prayut, Deputy Premier Prawit Wongsuwan, and Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda, Pheu Thai appeared to spare Prawit. “We could see hints of who is going to connect with whom” in forming the next government after the election, the academic said.
It has been rumoured that Pheu Thai has reached a secret deal with the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, which is led by Prawit, to form a post-election coalition.
Chettha also said that during the two-day debate, PM Prayut appeared to be alone in fending off opposition allegations, without the usual intervention from Palang Pracharath MPs.
Prayut, who was the ruling party’s sole prime ministerial candidate in the previous election in March 2019, joined a new party called Ruam Thai Sang Chart (United Thai Nation) in January and is expected to be its sole PM candidate at the next polls.
Jurin expects PM to dissolve the House by March 13
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2023
Deputy Prime Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said on Friday that he expected the House of Representatives to be dissolved no later than March 13 to pave the way for an early general election.
He said that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who has the power to dissolve the House, had yet to discuss with leaders of the coalition parties regarding the matter.
“I think that when it’s time, the prime minister will have some discussions [with the coalition leaders].”
The Democrat Party leader, who also doubles as the commerce minister, said he expected the House dissolution in March, possibly by the 13th. He explained that the Election Commission would be dealing with rules and regulations ahead of the next election and certain political parties would need time to prepare for contesting the polls.
Prayut on Thursday hinted at a House dissolution, saying, “I have a date in mind already,” although he declined to elaborate.
The current House of Representatives’ four-year term ends on March 23. The Election Commission tentatively scheduled the next general election on May 7 in case the House completes its full term.
House dissolution allows incumbent MPs to switch parties before election day. The law requires them to be members of the new party for at least 30 days before the election. In case the House is allowed to complete its term, election candidates have to be party members for at least 90 days.
A House dissolution would also mean MPs could defect from their current parties and join Prayut’s new party, Ruam Thai Sang Chart (United Thai Nation), up to 30 days before election day. They will have to join at least 90 days before the election day if the House term is completed normally.
Jurin said on Friday that his Democrat Party planned to field its candidates in all 400 constituencies in the next election.
Meanwhile, PM Prayut remained tight-lipped on Friday as to when he planned to dissolve the House. He refused to answer media questions regarding the matter.
On Thursday, the prime minister said that he needed more time for “some preparations” before making his final decision. He was speaking to reporters at the end of a two-day general parliamentary debate.
However, he dismissed claims by his critics that he was buying time to give his party more time to prepare for the upcoming election.
Prayut was the sole prime ministerial candidate of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party in the previous election of March 2019. He joined Ruam Thai Sang Chart in January and is expected to be its sole PM candidate at the next election.
The premier strikes back, targeting Thaksin and Pheu Thai
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha directed his satirical skills at deposed former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and his proxy Pheu Thai Party while responding to the opposition’s allegations against him and his government during the final day of a general parliamentary debate on Thursday.
Many Cabinet members from previous governments were sent to prison for corruption while none from his administration has been convicted for graft, he said.
While he was making his speech, a placard was displayed nearby with a pointed message: five government ministers from a past government and three others from another were found guilty of corruption and sentenced to prison.
“Regarding corruption, many of you made allegations [against the current government] although many of your former ministers were involved in corruption and served time in prison for it. Some others are now abroad. These are facts,” Prayut said.
He was referring to certain key government figures of the past who fled corruption charges to live abroad in self-exile, including Thaksin. The ex-PM, who was deposed in a military coup in 2006, is regarded as the patriarch of the opposition Pheu Thai Party, whose government was overthrown in May 2014 in a power seizure led by General Prayut while he was serving as the Army chief.
Prayut also countered allegations by opposition MPs that he lacked responsibility in tackling the country’s chronic narcotics problem.
The government is seriously addressing the issue in all aspects, he said, noting that Thailand has been used as a transit point from neighbouring countries to a third country.
“Suppressing illicit drugs does not mean simply killing 2,000-3,000. Is that the right thing to do? Can we do that?” the prime minister asked.
He was referring to the so-called war on drugs implemented during Thaksin’s first term as prime minister. Thousands of people suspected of involvement with the drug trade were put on a police blacklist. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people were killed. The Thaksin government said they were murdered by fellow drug dealers, supposedly to silence them before they became state witnesses.
No arrests for any of the murders were ever made. Rights groups described them as extrajudicial killings by police.
Regarding Chinese triad bosses in Thailand, General Prayut said that the key suspect – Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant – had been allowed to stay in Thailand since 2011, four years before he came to power.
The PM also noted that Tuhao’s application to obtain Thai citizenship had been approved by his government’s predecessor and that his post-coup administration simply followed the legal process by endorsing the approval.
Prayut said that some Chinese triad gang used their money to buy luxury houses “for almost the whole housing project”, implying money laundering.
He then suggested an unnamed company with no links to his government was involved.
“I don’t know who that [property] company belongs to. But I can confirm that this government has no practice of selling houses along with citizenship,” he said.
The premier also noted that Tuhao’s wife – a colonel who has been dismissed from the Royal Thai Police – was related to a former minister of another political party.
Prayut had been the main target as opposition MPs attacked him and his government during the two-day debate at the House of Representatives.
7 political parties unveil election visions to save SMEs
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023
Ahead of the general election, Nation Group invited economic gurus of seven political parties to showcase how they will keep small and medium enterprises (SMEs) afloat if they are elected to government.
Representatives of the Pheu Thai, Palang Pracharath, Democrat, Thai Sang Thai, Chart Thai Pattana, Chart Pattanakla, and Move Forward parties joined the seminar titled “Thailand’s Future: Which Direction SMES Will Move”, held by Nation Group at the Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel on Wednesday.
The three main campaign pledges presented at the seminar were to increase the SME support fund, reduce their corporate taxes, and amend laws to boost their competitiveness.
The visions were presented by Pisit Leeahtam, chairman of Democrat’s platforms committee; Paophum Rojanasakul, director of Pheu Thai’s policy centre; Sontirat Sontijirawong, chief of PPRP’s political policies team; Worawut Ounjai, deputy Chart Pattanakla leader; Suphan Mongkolsuthee, chairman of Thai Sang Thai’s economic strategies committee; Santi Kiranant, member of Chat Thai Pattana’s strategies committee; and Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, former Move Forward MP.
Democrat Party
Pisit said a major challenge for Thai SMEs is the lack of funding. He said the Covid-19 pandemic wiped 3 trillion baht from the economic system, leaving SMEs struggling to find funding sources that don’t add to their problems.
The disappearance of funding means SMEs are unable to expand their businesses. Debt has put many out of business while others have been bought up by foreign firms, he added.
Pisit said the Democrats would establish the Vayupak Fund for SMEs with a budget of 500 billion baht. The fund would convert SME debt into shares so they could obtain loans to keep their businesses running.
Pisit said the Vayupak fund would act as a partner, holding no more than 49% of each SME’s shares, which could be bought back in 10 years.
“This method is a win-win solution because it would make use of state assets and give SMEs will a new source of funds that will not become NPLs [non-performing loans],’ Pisit said.
Currently, SMEs do not want to make new investments so converting their debt into shares would help the Thai economy expand, he said, adding that other parties’ proposals would weaken the banking system.
Pheu Thai
Paophum said the next government must address three major issues for SMEs: funds, costs, and competitiveness.
Currently, banks see SMEs as risky businesses and are reluctant to grant them loans. Paophum said a loan-guarantee system for SMEs was needed, and Pheu Thai would upgrade the Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation (TCG) to play that role.
On costs, he said the next government must help cut electricity bills for SMEs. He said this could be done by reducing natural gas to generate power, reforming the billing fee structure, changing the power reserve and stepping up negotiations with neighbouring countries for oil and gas exploration in overlapping territories.
On competitiveness, Pheu Thai would eradicate monopolies enjoyed by large corporations in certain sectors. This would help boost competitiveness of SMEs, Paophum said.
He added that 80% of SMEs are in the trade and services sector, not in the manufacturing supply chain. The next government should draw in more foreign direct investment to integrate SMEs into manufacturing supply chains and boost their exports from the current rate of 14-15%, he said.
Palang Pracharath
Sontirat said the next government must hand the SMEs Promotion Office (SMEsPO) full control of drafting masterplans, allocating budget, drafting policies, and other major issues so its work does not overlap with other agencies.
Under a Palang Pracharath government, the office would ensure all other agencies work in the same direction to help SMEs, Sontirat added.
The next government must also encourage a change of mindset so SMEs adopt digital technologies.
“The SMEsPO must help coach SMEs to be more proficient in digital technologies,” he said. To tackle the issue of debt, his party would inject more funds for SMEs based on their credit scores.
Chart Pattanakla
Worawut said 98% of Thai SMEs are small enterprises, and labour costs made it hard for them to upgrade into medium-sized enterprises.
His party would open more funding sources for SMEs by using the credit-score system to get around the Credit Bureau’s blacklist so they could access soft loans.
In government, Chart Pattanakla would also promote online sales so SMEs could tap both domestic and foreign markets.
It would also invest in e-business to drive SME sales to become a key engine of the party’s policy to generate 5 trillion baht in revenue for the country, Worawut added.
Thai Sang Thai
Suphan said Thai Sang Thai would increase SMEs’ contribution to GDP from 30% to 50% within four years while helping to solve their debt issues.
SMEs would be allowed to obtain small loans without guarantees so that they could continue their business.
In government, Thai Sang Thai would push for changes to exempt SMEs from 1,400 laws seen as restricting their business.
The party would also stop the Food and Drug Administration from obstructing the launch of new businesses and adding more costs.
Additionally, it would waive corporate tax for SMEs for three years, establish industrial estates for SMEs only, and set up an innovation fund to support SMEs and develop new business platforms for them.
Chart Thai Pattana
Santi said Thai SMEs are facing various issues while some 2.6 million micro enterprises are suffering a lot of problems. In Government, Chart Thai Pattana would coordinate efforts by all agencies to help SMEs while forming a venture capital fund to raise money in the stock market to provide investment for SMEs.
Control of state banks and financial institutions would be shifted from the Finance Ministry to the Bank of Thailand and become tools of financial support to keep SMEs in business.
Move Forward
Wiroj noted that the number of Thai SMEs was still lower than pre-Covid levels despite rising in the third quarter of last year.
He pinpointed SMEs’ main problems as lack of investment and high debt. Move Forward would provide a tax-deductible subsidy of 5,000 baht for each Thai to buy goods from SMEs.
In government, Move Forward would grant a 100,000 baht investment fund for each SME while boosting the TCG operating fund to 20 billion a year to guarantee more loans for SMEs.
It would also reduce corporate tax for SMEs to 0-15%.
Move Forward would oppose mergers of large corporations, so that SMEs would have competitiveness, and push to reduce their utility bills by reforming the power fee structure.
Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit hit back at criticism by opposition MPs during a debate late on Wednesday, saying his ministry had helped exports grow and increased the prices of cash crops, while inflation had fallen.
Jurin said the opposition had not provided accurate information and argued that the Commerce Ministry under his leadership had performed creditably.
Jurin said the inflation rate in January dropped to 5%, adding it would fall to 2.8% this year against the International Monetary Fund’s forecast of global inflation at 6.5%.
The minister said the prices of consumer goods had dropped a lot, and were no longer expensive as alleged by the opposition. He said the Commerce Ministry has been monitoring 58 consumer goods and has seen their prices drop.
For example, Jurin said, the price of pork had dropped from 300 baht per kilogram to 165 baht and the price of palm oil had fallen by 17% to 48-50 baht per bottle.
The commerce minister said the opposition also provided inaccurate information by saying prices of all crops had fallen.
He said the price guarantee scheme of his ministry had helped raise the price of paddy rice to almost 10,000 baht per tonne and to about 14,000 to 15,000 baht for a tonne of jasmine rice.
He said the price of cassava also rose from about one baht per kg to over 3 baht and he has brought a Philippine company to sign an advance purchasing contract of 2 million tonnes of cassava in Nakhon Ratchasima province.
But Jurin admitted that the price of rubber fell to about 45-49 baht per kg. However, he blamed it to the global economic slowdown and the easing of the Covid crisis, resulting in less use of latex gloves.
He said Thailand’s exports did not slow down as alleged by the opposition. Last year, export value rose by 5.5% and exports generated income of 9.94 trillion baht for the kingdom.
Jurin said the opposition was right when it said Thailand was behind Vietnam in terms of having free trade agreements (FTA). But it has been like this since the Yingluck Shinawatra government and his ministry was instead catching up with Vietnam, Jurin said.
He said Thailand now has 14 FTA contracts with 18 countries, while Vietnam has 16 contracts with 54 countries. Jurin said he was trying tor reach an FTA with the European Union, which has been pending for over 10 years. If the talks are successful, Thailand would have another FTA contract with 27 more countries, Jurin added.
Global graft ranking disproves charge that corruption is rising: govt
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023
Opposition claims that corruption is rising in Thailand are disproved by its rising rank on Transparency International’s global index of corruption last year, government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said on Thursday.
Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha places great importance on the fight against corruption and regards it as a national priority, Anucha said.
“All state agencies have been instructed to work with transparency and are subject to oversight … Digital technology has been adopted so that the public can monitor the work of government agencies,” the spokesman said.
Thailand rose by nine places in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) last year. The Berlin-based organisation ranks 180 countries based on their perceived level of corruption.
Thailand rose from 110 in 2021 to 101 on the index last year, Anucha said, adding that its score rose from 35 to 36. The best score is 100.
Thailand came fourth among the 10 members of Asean, following Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
The CPI measures include perceived levels of bribery, diversion of public funds for personal use, the government’s capacity to curb irregularities, and legal protection for whistleblowers.
The score of each country surveyed is based on a combination of at least three data sources drawn from 13 different corruption surveys and assessments, Transparency International says. The data sources are collected by a variety of reputable institutions, including the World Bank and the World Economic Forum, it says.
Among the nine data sources used for the corruption-perception survey in Thailand last year, the kingdom earned better scores from two sources – the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook (up from 39 to 43 points) and the World Economic Forum (up from 42 to 45), Anucha said.
The country’s scores remained unchanged from five sources – Varieties of Democracy Institute (26 points), Bertelsmann Foundation Transformation Index (37), Economist Intelligence Unit Country Risk Ratings (37), Global Insight Country Risk Ratings (35), and PRS International Country Risk Guide (32).
The score declined from two other sources – Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (down from 36 to 35) and the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index (down from 35 to 34).
The 2022 CPI index showed that the world’s least corrupt country was Denmark, with a score of 90 points. It was followed by Finland and New Zealand at 87 each, and Singapore in fourth place with 83 points.
The global average score, 43, has remained unchanged for over a decade, and more than two-thirds of the 180 countries surveyed score below 50, according to Transparency International. It said most of the world was still failing to fight corruption – 95% of countries have made little or no progress since 2017.
Thailand has seen fluctuating CPI scores over the years. The country was ranked 85th in 2014, following a military coup led by General Prayut when he was the Army chief, up from 102nd a year earlier.
The country’s ranking jumped to 76th in 2015 but plunged to 101st place the following year. It recovered to 96th in 2017 but then slid to 99th place in 2018, 101st in 2019, 104th in 2020 and 110th in 2021.
House dissolution decision should wait till next month: deputy PM
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023
Any decision to dissolve the House of Representatives should wait until after the Election Commission (EC) has finished drawing the boundaries of the 400 constituencies nationwide, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said on Thursday.
He was responding to questions from reporters about whether he, in his capacity as the Cabinet’s legal expert, had discussed House dissolution with Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha.
“I’ve not talked about it,” Wissanu replied. “The issue should wait until after the general debate,” he added, referring to the two-day showdown between the opposition and the government on Wednesday and Thursday.
“I think the right time [for talking about House dissolution] is after February 28. We must wait for the EC to finish drawing the boundaries of election constituencies.”
The House of Representatives term is scheduled to end on March 22, four years after the last general election.
The EC has announced that the election will be held on May 7 if the House completes its term. It will reschedule the election date if the House is dissolved first.
The EC has not updated the government about its progress in drawing the boundaries of constituencies, Wissanu said.
He said, however, that he heard reports that the EC has asked the Constitutional Court to interpret the term “citizen”, following disputes on whether stateless residents of Thailand should be counted in the formula for distributing 400 House seats in 77 provinces. The formula calls for every MP to represent 164,226 people.
The EC based its decision for distributing House seats on population data provided by the Provincial Administration Department at the end of December, which put Thailand’s population at 66,090,475.
However, critics, including Wissanu and former EC commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, said the figure included stateless people, who – although they are counted in Thailand’s population – have no right to vote.
Wissanu has said that the number of House seats allocated to some provinces, especially border provinces where many stateless residents live, will have to be re-calculated if stateless people are excluded from the population.
The EC has assigned its provincial election committees to draw boundaries of constituencies in their provinces to fit the number of seats allocated to each one.
Following mounting criticism, however, the EC met on Monday to discuss whether to count stateless people as part of the population for determining the distribution of House seats. The EC decided at a second meeting on Tuesday to ask the Constitutional Court to interpret the term “citizen”.
Wissanu said on Thursday he expects the court to decide swiftly because it knows how important the issue is. It is possible, however, that the court will dismiss the case on grounds that no problem has occurred yet, he added.
The pending legal decision will not delay the drawing of constituency boundaries, Wissanu said.
The EC can proceed with the process and adjust the boundaries if the court rules that stateless residents of Thailand should not be counted as citizens, he said.
“Thailand has 400 constituencies and 300 will not have to be redrawn. The issue will have an impact but not much of one,” he explained.
Political parties are squabbling much more over the boundaries of constituencies because changes to them could determine who wins them.
Wissanu said on Thursday he expects the court to decide swiftly because it knows how important the issue is. It is possible, however, that the court will dismiss the case on grounds that no problem has occurred yet, he added.
The pending legal decision will not delay the drawing of constituency boundaries, Wissanu said.
The EC can proceed with the process and adjust the boundaries if the court rules that stateless residents of Thailand should not be counted as citizens, he said.
“Thailand has 400 constituencies and 300 will not have to be redrawn. The issue will have an impact but not much of one,” he explained.
Political parties are squabbling much more over the boundaries of constituencies because changes to them could determine who wins them.
Chuwit drops another triad bombshell as Rangsiman attacks ‘govt complicity’
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023
Chinese triads arrived in Thailand under the cover of a foundation established by a Chinese national called Yu Xinqi, whistleblower Chuwit Kamolvisit said on Thursday.
Yu Xinqi established the Shaanxi Association of Thailand as a front for triad activity, using it to forge relationships with Thai establishment figures including monks, Chuwit wrote on Facebook.
The soapy massage tycoon turned anti-corruption crusader has made a series of allegations that have led to a national investigation into Chinese criminal gangs operating in Thailand with help from authorities including customs and police officers.
The Shaanxi Association of Thailand acted as a trafficking ring by luring Chinese people to Thailand, Chuwit said. He added that its founder Yu Xinqi had escaped after being exposed.
Chuwit also claimed that Chinese criminals established connections with Thai military and police officers before launching their operations in Thailand.
The whistleblowing former politician also thanked Move Forward Party MP Rangsiman Rome for “defending the monarchy” during Wednesday’s Parliamentary debate on triads and urged him to continue fighting for the public.
Rangsiman also thanked Chuwit for giving him information to use in the two-day debate targeting the government.
Rangsiman accused the government of delays in tackling Chinese triad operations allegedly run by Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant.
He also alleged Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had failed to follow up on the case.
“I urge the Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner and national police chief to speed up the case,” he said.
Rangsiman said the delay may be because a company run by Chaiyanat rented at least 33 tour buses from a construction firm run by Prayut’s nephew.
He suspected the buses were used to transport Chinese nationals suspected of being involved in illegal activities in Thailand.
He also claimed that several politicians have connections with Chinese triads, including ex-Palang Pracharath Party MP Thammanat Prompao and Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office Anucha Nakasai.
He added that Chinese triads who have boasted connections with Thai politicians include call centre gang operator Zhang Jian Fu and trafficking boss She Zhi Jiang.
“More than 7,000 Chinese people have requested student visas from the Immigration Bureau,” he said.
The number of immigration police officers suspected of helping Chinese gangsters to stay illegally in Thailand has risen from 80 to 110, the deputy national police chief said on Monday.
Rangsiman said Chinese triads have seized large areas of Chinatown’s Yaowarat Road from locals.
The upcoming general election will help decide whether the triad problem persists or not, he added.
Pheu Thai politely scorches Prayut in ‘unmasking’ debate
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2023
Opposition leader Cholnan Srikaew launched a two-day general debate on Wednesday morning to grill the government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, previewing the issues opposition parties will focus on for the upcoming election.
Although he spoke politely and smiled frequently, he accused the government of massive corruption, abuse of power, incompetence, and a failure to do what it said it would – improve the lives of Thai citizens.
Cholnan refers to the debate as an operation to “unmask the decent” because reporters nicknamed Prayut’s ruling coalition “a government with a mask of decency”.
He leads the main opposition party, Pheu Thai.
After thanking Prayut and his Cabinet for attending the session, Cholnan told them they had failed to do what they promised when they announced their policy statement almost four years ago.
In particular, Cholnan said, the government – which completes its four-year term on March 22 – failed to address 12 urgent issues, including improving the quality of life of Thai citizens.
The gap between the rich and the poor remains wide, and rural Thais are still trapped in poverty, Cholnan said.
The government has failed fishermen and damaged the fishing industry with ill-advised regulations, and failed to increase the price of crops, he said.
Mothers of newborns are not receiving state welfare as promised, he added.
Both the drug trade and corruption have worsened under the Prayut government, he said.
The government promised to reform politics, but instead it opted for “money politics” – spending the national budget to buy popularity, Cholnan said.
The national budget has not been distributed fairly and massive amounts of money have been siphoned off for mega and local projects, Cholnan said. As a result, corruption has risen to unprecedented levels, he said.
After his opening salvo, Cholnan said 35 opposition MPs from four parties will speak during the two-day debate and each party will focus on different issues:
Pheu Thai MPs will focus on five issues:
– the government’s failure to implement 12 urgent policies,
– social violence (the Nong Bua Lamphu childcare centre massacre will be the main example),
– last year’s massive flooding,
– unfair and improper budget allocations, and
– corruption.
Move Forward Party MPs will focus on five issues:
– economic mismanagement,
– failure to distribute administrative power properly,
– failure to reform land-use policies to help landless people and protect the environment,
– failure to ensure national security, and
– corruption.
Prachachart Party MPs will focus on four issues:
– corruption in mega projects, especially the Orange Line railway,
– granting forest land concessions to tycoons,
– violence in the Deep South, and
– nepotism and abuse of power.
Pua Chart Party MPs will focus on the government’s economic failures, Cholnan said.
The debate will not end with a vote because it is being held under a provision in Section 152 of the Constitution that does not require a vote.
Wissanu said on Thursday he expects the court to decide swiftly because it knows how important the issue is. It is possible, however, that the court will dismiss the case on grounds that no problem has occurred yet, he added.
Both the drug trade and corruption have worsened under the Prayut government, he said.
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