Senate agenda skips Jaruvan

Published on October 07, 2005 - Senate Speaker Suchon Chaleekrua has released the schedule for next week’s three-day Senate meeting but no discussion about the status of Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka as auditor-general is on the agenda.

The Senate sessions will take place on Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

Topping the agenda will be the 10 proposed acts that were not debated last week when Suchon cancelled the Senate meeting.

Suchon annulled the meeting after just one hour of discussion claiming it was because the Cabinet was away on the mobile meeting in Kalasin.

The week before, 22 senators asked Suchon to put the discussion about the status of Jaruvan as a top priority. Suchon declined.

Senator Wallop Tangkananurak said Suchon had agreed to let the Senate arrangements committee decide on whether to put Jaruvan’s case on the agenda. He said committee head Senator Thawil Praison would advise on whether the debate would be allowed to go ahead.

Senator Nirand Pitakwatchara, one of the 22 senators, said it was under the Senate Speaker’s authority to set up the agenda. However, if Jaruvan’s status wasn’t debated next week, people and senators must question the integrity of Suchon as Senate Speaker.

Items for discussion proposed by minority senators, such as problems in the South and the Free Trade Agreement, are also not on the agenda although they are deemed urgent.

Nirand said in the long run the Senate and Audit Commissioners should discuss the problem. However, he believed each party should reach its own conclusion before any discussion. Audit Commission chairman Norchai Sripimol and Suchon should co-host the meeting, he said.