PARLIAMENT
Cabinet to issue decree to convene House
Prince of Songkhla University lecturer Wiwat Suthivipakorn has his head shaved in protest against the Election Commission in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district yesterday. His placard reads: ‘Oil is expensive and so is going to the polls’.
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Court may be asked whether 500 members needed
The Cabinet yesterday decided to issue a Royal decree to convene a new House of Representatives, Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya said.
Government Spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee said Cabinet members also discussed the possibility of asking the Constitution Court to rule whether the Lower House can be convened with less than 500 representatives.
Chidchai, who is acting on behalf of the caretaker premier, said the Royal decree to convene the House, which does not specify a date, would be submitted to the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary.
He said this was "usual practice" since every government would have to submit a Royal decree two weeks in advance.
Government Spokesman Surapong said the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary would notify the Cabinet if the decree was approved.
"This does not mean that the House can be convened. Everything depends on the situation, whether there is a quorum of 500 seats as required by the Constitution,'' Surapong said.
He said the Cabinet could seek a ruling from the Constitution Court only after the 30-day deadline of having to get 500 MPs, as required by the Constitution, is not met.
Constitution Court judge Manit Withayatem said that the court was ready to urgently rule whether the House could be convened
if fewer than 500 seats are occupied.
He said the court would have to take more than seven days to issue a ruling because the Constitution did not clearly stipulate what to do in such a scenario.
Seri Suwanphanond, an outgoing senator for Bangkok, slammed the Cabinet's decision to pass the Royal decree to convene Parliament.
"This is a signal that the Thai Rak Thai is trying to open Parliament at all costs, entirely ignoring the public dissent," he said.
It would be unconstitutional to open Parliament without all 500 MPs, he said.
Kaewsan Atibhodi, also an outgoing senator from Bangkok, expressed bewilderment at the government's decision to seek to pass the Royal decree to open Parliament before the April 29 elections have been held.
"It is bizarre that the Royal decree is passed without a date for the opening of Parliament. This is inappropriate. I have never seen anything like this in our history," he added.
Piyanart Srivalo
The Nation
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