POLITICS
MANOP THIP-OSOD
Government chief whip Chai Chidchob and first deputy House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont, both from the People Power party (PPP), have emerged as strong candidates in the race for the job of House Speaker.
The PPP will meet on Tuesday to nominate a candidate to replace Yongyuth Tiyapairat, who resigned from the post on Wednesday.
Mr Chai is reportedly backed by the PPP's northeastern MPs who are loyal to his son, Newin, a former influential Thai Rak Thai executive who was banned from politics for five years following the dissolution of the party.
Pirom Polwiset, a People Power MP for Nakhon Ratchasima, said Mr Chai was most suitable to succeed Mr Yongyuth because the veteran MP was a compromising politician and experienced in directing meetings.
Mr Somsak is reportedly supported by a faction in the Puea Pandin party led by Preecha Laohapongchana.
It was also reported that Mr Yongyuth wanted Mr Somsak to succeed him.
Meanwhile, opposition Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday that Mr Yongyuth's resignation might have "a hidden motive".
Although Mr Yongyuth insisted that he did not want to be tried as the House Speaker in the Supreme Court for alleged electoral fraud, Mr Abhisit noted that the resignation happened as the PPP-led coalition was proposing amendments to the 2007 constitution.
Mr Abhisit stressed that the constitution requires the head of parliament to be neutral in considering the country's highest law. If the head favoured political gains for any particular party, that would aggravate national problems, he said.
He warned that charter amendments should be based on a joint agreement of members of parliament, otherwise it would become a prolonged problem.
As the House Speaker's seat is under the control of the PPP, Thepthai Senapong, assistant secretary-general of the Democrat party, said Mr Yongyuth's successor should be Col Apiwan Wiriyachai, the second deputy House Speaker.
He said Col Apiwan was neutral and listened to all parties.
Mr Yongyuth's resignation drew criticism over the government's attempts to have parliament amend the 2007 constitution, allegedly to save key coalition parties and even pardon currently banned politicians of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai party.
Mr Yongyuth had suspended himself from the House Speaker's role in late February, when the Supreme Court decided to examine the Election Commission's accusation that he had influenced local administration authorities in the North to support his party before the Dec 23 general election.
The coalition intends to propose constitutional amendments, which must be proposed to joint sessions of the House and the Senate.
With Mr Yongyuth's suspension, Senate Speaker Prasopsuk Boondej, who disagrees with the proposed amendment, would have to chair the joint meetings instead.
Observers say Mr Yongyuth's resignation will pave the way for the selection of a new House Speaker who will automatically act as the head of the House-Senate joint sessions to consider constitutional amendments.
Mr Prasopsuk said yesterday that, pending the selection of the new House Speaker, he, as the deputy chairman of parliament, could act as the chairman and supervise the constitutional consideration of both houses.
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