Lt-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the Cabinet yesterday resolved that construction of the meeting hall for senators and offices of parliamen?tary personnel must be completed by the end of this year.

He added that the meeting hall for members of Parliament and the areas connecting all the buildings must be completed by March next year.

“All the construction must be fin?ished by December 2019 to prepare for the new MPs after the election,” the spokesman said.

An election has been promised for February 2019. New MPs and senators are expected to move to the new Parliament complex, which is located on the bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok’s Kiak Kai district.

The Cabinet decision yesterday was made in response to a request by the Secretariat of the House of Representatives for a further exten?sion of the construction period. The secretariat is in charge of the project to construct the new Parliament.

Construction of the Bt12-billion complex began in June 2013 and was initially expected to be complete in November 2015. However, it was post?poned to November 2016, February 2018, and now to December 2019.

Yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, also approved the secre?tariat’s request for an additional Bt512.5 million in state funding to cover the cost of construction, work supervision and the hiring of project advisers, Sansern said.

However, the Cabinet rejected the agency’s request for Bt8.13 billion for the complex’s utilities system, includ?ing air-conditioning and information technology, he added.

“The Cabinet did not approve the request. The secretariat was instruct?ed to review its request and provide clearer details next time,” the spokesman told reporters.

He said General Prayut listened to comments from representatives from the Budget Bureau, the Finance Ministry and other related agencies before rejecting the budget request.

“The prime minister told the meet?ing that a lot of the additional costs involve matters of decor. And he will not allow issues regarding [expensive] microphones and clocks to happen again,” Sansern said, referring to a scandal involving items purchased at inflated prices for the current Parliament building that emerged shortly after the junta came to power.

The new Parliament complex, to be called Sappaya Sapa Sathan (“Peaceful Place of Assembly”), is Thailand’s third parliament house, after the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall and the cur?rent complex in Dusit district.

Covering an area of more than 424,000 square metres, the new complex can accommodate more than 5,000 people, with parking for some 2,000 cars. In addition to separate meeting halls for the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as both Houses, it also houses museums, a convention centre, seminar room, banquet hall, office area, and other function areas.

Representing the party, Paiboon stood firm in its stated stance to support junta head General Prayut Chan-o-cha to be the “outsider” prime minister after next year’s general election.

“I believe General Prayut is good to be a middleman prime minister, but must not be affiliated with any party. This is to get the country through the transitional period [after the election],” the People’s Reform Party leader said.

Although the current prime minister has been the target of criticism following the recent so-called “headhunting phenomenon”, whereby old-face politicians are supposedly being attracted to a pro-junta camp allegedly with a plan to set up a party, Paiboon said he was confident that Prayut was an honest man.

The criticism is just an attempt to bar the PM from returning to power, he added.

Paiboon, who remains supportive of Prayut, suggested that after the election three forces would be needed to bring peace and order: the people’s power, the bureaucracy, and the politicians.

“In the Parliament, the opinions of the Senate must be considered. It has a role in the parliamentary system, too,” he insisted.

The Senate will be appointed by the ruling junta and is deemed by critics as being a means for the military to remain in power.

Paiboon’s People’s Reform Party is among a number that are being set up to back the junta and Prayut to maintain its power in politics.

Since People’s Reform was told by the Election Commission last month that it could proceed with finding members and collecting membership fees, as legally required before requesting official status, the party has gained 1,441 members in 72 provinces, the exceptions being Krabi, Chai Nat, Phatthalung, Satun and Samut Songkhram.

It has also collected Bt1.441 million from these members as a seeding fund.

Paiboon said the party aimed to have 10,000 members within four months covering all 77 provinces, and would field candidates in 99 per cent of the constituencies at the coming general election.

Ekachai was arrested last Friday after failing to report himself to the authorities following four summonses.

They had been issued as a result of the pro-election demonstration on March 24, which resulted in him facing several charges, from illegally using amplifiers to commit acts of sedition.

Ekachai is an active dissenter against the coup-installed regime.

Aside from the pro-election protest, he has also been vocal about the luxury-watch scandal that has embroiled the junta’s deputy leader, General Prawit Wongsuwan, who is also deputy prime minister and defence minister.

Many countries including Britain, France and Russia had already slammed the US decision to move the embassy, while 128 nations have backed a UN resolution condemning Washington’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The US came to the defence of its ally Monday, blaming Hamas for the violence and blocking a resolution at the UN calling for an international investigation, according to diplomats.

Here are some of the reactions from around the world following Monday’s violence:

United States

The White House blamed the bloodiest day in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in years on Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip.

“The responsibility for these tragic deaths rests squarely with Hamas,” said White House spokesman Raj Shah.

Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also blamed Hamas, and defended his country’s use of force, saying “every country has the obligation to defend its borders”.

Palestinian reaction

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas condemned Israeli “massacres”, saying “the US is no longer a mediator in the Middle East,” and that the new embassy was tantamount to “a new American settler outpost” in Jerusalem.

Hamas vowed the protests would continue. “We say clearly today to all the world that the peaceful march of our people lured the enemy into shedding more blood,” senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya said.

Turkey

Turkey announced it was recalling its ambassadors to the United States and Israel “for consultations”.

“Israel is wreaking state terror. Israel is a terror state,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

“What Israel has done is a genocide.”

United Nations

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, said: “Those responsible for outrageous human rights violations must be held to account.”

UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was “particularly worried” about the developments.

– Rights groups –

Amnesty International said the bloodshed was an “abhorrent violation” of human rights, and “appear to be wilful killings constituting war crimes”. Human Rights Watch also denounced the “bloodbath”.

European Union

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini urged “utmost restraint”.

“Dozens of Palestinians, including children, have been killed and hundreds injured from Israeli fire today, during ongoing mass protests near the Gaza fence. We expect all to act with utmost restraint to avoid further loss of life,” Mogherini said in a statement.

France

French President Emmanuel Macron “condemned the violence of the Israeli armed forces against protesters” in a telephone conversation with Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah II. He also reaffirmed criticism of the US decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem.

Britain

British Prime Minister Theresa May urged “calm and restraint to avoid actions destructive to peace efforts.”

Russia

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia had publicly stated its opposition to moving the embassy “several times”.

“The determination of the status of Jerusalem… must be decided through direct dialogue between with the Palestinians,” he said.

Canada

Canada Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said it was “inexcusable that civilians, members of the media and children have been among the victims”.

Kuwait

Kuwait requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, which diplomats later said the US had blocked.

“We condemned what has happened,” the Kuwaiti ambassador to the UN, Mansour al-Otaibi, said.

Egypt

Egypt’s foreign ministry called those killed “martyrs” and warned against “this serious escalation”.

Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Egypt’s highest institution of Sunni Islam, called on “Arabs and Muslims and all fair and reasonable people in the world to stand by the defenseless Palestinian people”.

Saudi Arabia

“Saudi Arabia strongly condemns the Israeli occupation forces’ gunfire against unarmed Palestinian civilians which has left dozens of dead and wounded,” a foreign ministry spokesperson said.

Iran

Iran decried “a day of great shame” over the deaths.

“Israeli regime massacres countless Palestinians in cold blood as they protest in the world’s largest open air prison,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter.

The source, who asked not to be named, said on Monday that the politicians were considering whether to defect to the Palang Pracha Rath Party, which is believed to support Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha for his possible return to power after the next general election.

Most of the ex-MPs and senators are from the northeastern provinces of Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Si Sa Ket, Ubon Ratchathani, Surin, Amnat Charoen, Nong Bua Lamphu, Maha Sarakham, Roi Et, Nong Khai, Nakhon Phanom, Kalasin, Bueng Kan, Yasothon, Udon Thani and Chaiyaphum, according to the source, while at least two are from the North – one from Chiang Rai and another from Mae Hong Son.

They are from a number of parties, including Bhum Jai Thai and the previously ruling Pheu Thai, which won most of its MP seats from the North and Northeast in earlier elections.

Pirom Pholwiset, a former Bhum Jai Thai MP for Nakhon Ratchasima who is expected to defect to the pro-junta party, said on Monday that he was going to join a new party that had a good strategy for solving the country’s problems and developing the country.

“The party does not rely on political financiers, unlike in the past,” the politician said, alluding to Palang Pracha Rath although he did not identify the party in question.

“I believe this party will certainly provide hope and can be relied on by the Thai people,” he added.

He said the military coup in May 2014 had caused “severe damage to the country and wasted a lot of state budget while causing the most suffering to the people”.

Watana blamed what he called “inefficient management by retired military officers who want to have power but lack intelligence”.

The outspoken politician said in his latest Facebook message attacking the ruling junta that an “important mission” after the next election was to restore democracy and reform the armed forces.

“The goal is to prevent anyone from using the armed forces to destroy democracy again. More importantly, coup-makers must be punished for causing damage to the country,” he said.

Watana said the prosecution would not be revenge, but rather an attempt to “end a vicious cycle and restore the rule of law”.

In his message headlined “Dictators must be brought to court”, the politician said the election results in Malaysia last week should be a lesson to Thais.

“Malaysia and developed countries prove that democracy can solve every problem,” he added.

His latest message seemed to be inspired by Malaysia’s newly elected prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, who made a remark about his corruption-tainted predecessor Najib Razak after his stunning poll victory.

When asked if Najib would be prosecuted, Mahathir said: “If anybody breaks the law, they will be brought before the court.”

Watana last week was brought before the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders for alleged malfeasance and bribery.

The case is in connection with the Ua Athon housing project for low-income earners, which was started in 2005 by the National Housing Authority.

At that time, Watana was serving as minister of social development and human security in charge of the agency during a Thaksin Shinawatra government.

Her funeral rites will take place from Tuesday, with the cremation set for May 24.

According to a close family member, Pimpa was rushed to a nearby hospital on Sunday after complaining of heaviness in the chest.

Found to be suffering cardiac arrest, she was resuscitated and referred to the Central Chest Institute where she was diagnosed with coronary artery disease and received treatment, the source said.

However, Pimpa yesterday succumbed to kidney failure due to poor blood circulation after the cardiac arrest.

Pimpa was born on August 16, 1953. She graduated from Krirk University and was married to Thawin Chanprasong, also a former minister and Nonthaburi MP, who had passed away earlier.

Pimpa entered politics in 1992, seeking parliamentary election under the Kwam Wang Mai Party banner before reaching the peak of her career when she was appointed minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office in Chuan Leekpai’s administration.

As a member of the executive board of the Thai Rak Thai Party in 2007, Pimpa was banned from politics for five years. When Thai Rak Thai was dissolved in 2013, Pimpa joined the Democrat Party and had remained a member ever since.

PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday dodged addressing whether the increased speculation that his field trip to Sa Kaew province had a political motive caused him to cancel the trip.

Prayut’s agenda to visit the eastern province on Friday to attend a border checkpoint opening ceremony was criticised as being an opportunity for the PM to meet with local politicians to “persuade” them to his side.

The agenda was only cancelled because Cambodian PM Hun Sen would be occupied with other business, said Government Spokesperson Lt-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd.

“[Politicians’] decisions to shift from their parties would not guarantee their seats in the parliament anyway, as long as they are not trusted by people,” Sansern said.

“So, [Prayut] wishes that we should not be too worried about the matter,” he added.

The junta chief has roamed the country on field trips for over a year. However, speculation about him making deals with politicians escalated when Sontaya Kunplome, leader of Phalang Chon Party, was appointed as Prayut’s political adviser last month.

Prayut was also grandly welcomed by “kingmaker” Newin Chidchob last week in Buri Ram, as the province’s multi-billion-baht projects were proposed before the Prayut-led Cabinet meeting.

In Sa Kaew, there was speculation that Prayut would meet with the Pheu Thai Party’s adviser and veteran politician Sanoh Thienthong, who Sansern said the premier “has known for long but is not close or related in any way”.

Critics suggested that Prayut might be seeking political support ahead of the upcoming election, |after which the parliament would have to vote to select a new prime minister.

Prayut could contend for the position as the 2017 Constitution allows outsider candidate to be nominated by both Upper and Lower houses if the latter cannot agree upon a list of three PM candidates from their parties.

Democrat Party deputy leader Ongart Klampaiboon has also urged Prayut to “adjust his behaviour” should he not wanted to be viewed as having political motives.

“Prayut and people in his government met with ex-MPs several times, giving them positions in the government agencies. Thus, it is hard to not see them as having political agendas,” Ongart said.

“Instead, if they change their behaviour and concentrate more on solving people’s problems, people would understand their agenda immediately without them dodging it,” he added.

This makes Ekachai the only one of 57 activists detained after having joined a March 24 assembly that marched to the Army headquarters and urged the military to stop supporting the ruling junta. It was one of a series of assemblies demanding that an election be called this year.

Ten participants, including Ekachai, were deemed key actors by the authorities. The remaining nine activists reported to police earlier and were also taken to court, only to have the prosecutor’s detention requests refused.

Ekachai was immediately detained yesterday, as he chose to not request bail in line with his approach that from the start has denied the legitimacy of the charges.

This approach is also why he did not report to police when they pressed charges, and subsequently caused him to be labelled a fugitive and arrested on Friday at his home in Lat Phrao district.

“A developed country will not recognise the junta’s order as law,” Ekachai said, smiling and raising three fingers as a defiant symbol before going into the court.

The charges dating from March 30 are sedition under the Criminal Code’s Article 116, violating the junta’s ban against a political gathering of five or more people, violating laws relating to public assembly, land traffic and advertising by loudspeaker.

The Thai Lawyers for Human Rights group, however, is expecting to contact him and make a request for his bail tomorrow, activist Nuttaa Mahtaana told The Nation.

Ekachai is also known for his acts of resistance, for example trying to hand his inexpensive watch to Deputy PM and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who is being investigated over his possession of a multi-million-baht collection of luxury watches.

In an effort to hand his watch to Prawit, Ekachai has been going to the General’s house and Government House almost weekly to light 36 incense sticks as a ritual to “shoo away all the bads”.

The activist believes that it was these actions that have caused him to be accused of sedition.

AFTER four full years of reforms before an election as the dominant theme, and the appointment and dissolution of two major reform assemblies as well as success remain a long way off.

Having worked for the junta previously as the chief of the defunct Constitution Drafting Committee and currently as the head of the law reform committee, Borwornsak said in an interview last week that he was tired and “could not see if, how, and when the reforms would end”.

“Previously, they appointed the National Reform Council, which has been dissolved and replaced by the National Reform Steering Assembly. That again was scrapped and now we have 11 reform committees covering 11 different fields,” he said. “And all they have is plans, plans, and plans.”

The implementation of those plans, Borwornsak said, was left to the operating government bodies. The practice should be common except this is a reform, and there is no way those bodies would take the plans and agree to reform themselves, he explained.

“So, this is not easy to achieve. It’s like you let the contractor review the construction work. Of course, they’ll say everything is perfect and no corrections or reforms are needed,” Borwornsak said. “They won’t come up with any new legislation or give up old ones. Why would they do that when the legislation already gives them power?”

But the reform is the principal task of the coup-installed regime. Four years ago when the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) took control after staging a coup, it promised to deliver meaningful reforms before restoring the country to democratic rule.

Today, critics, including those who called for reforms during the demonstrations that led to the coup, are already criticising the NCPO as having failed in its mission. Now, the minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, Kobsak Pootrakul, has been assigned to accelerate |the process, Borwornsak said. He would take any prime and urgent agendas and make things happen, he said.

However, the law reformer and charter writer went on to say that perhaps the reform would be endless not only because the past four years have yielded nothing except plans, but also the matter has been assigned in the Constitution.

“Reform is addressed in the permanent clause of the Constitution. This means that the process must go on and on so long as the Constitution stays. But in reality, we can’t keep reforming endlessly.”

But as the restoration of democracy and the dissolution of the current regime are drawing closer with an election scheduled for February next year, Borwornsak also foresees an unpleasant future for reforms and its parent scheme – the 20-year national strategy – if the next government is from the anti-coup camp with leaders like Thanathorn Juangroonruangkit of Future Forward, Sudarat Kayuraphan of Pheu Thai or Abhisit Vejjajiva of the Democrat Party.

Only if the junta head General Prayut Chan-o-cha retains power and continues as premier would the reforms be carried out smoothly, he said.

“Surely, the reforms and the national strategy will be targeted by the elected government. But because the matters are prescribed in the Constitution and it takes a lot to amend it, any changes to the reform and the strategy will not be easy to make,” Borwornsak said.

“So, the reform will go on regardless of the change of the government. But ‘how’ is a more important question,” he added. “Will it go on but with lots of conflicts or will it go on with consensus and lead to a happy ending?”countless committees, legal expert and former constitution drafter Borwornsak Uwaano admits that all there is to show are lengthy plans while implementation and