By throwing cold water on the Move Forward Party's (MFP) call for a live broadcast of the second reading of the 3.48-trillion-baht budget bill, the Srettha Thavisin government shows it has scant regard for transparency regarding such crucial matters.
The 2024 budget is already facing a long delay due to the political deadlock that occurred in the formation of the new government because the old powers refused to recognise the MFP's election victory.
The budget bill eventually made its way through parliament and overcame four abstentions and is now set to be scrutinised again. It's the duty of the government and lawmakers to ensure this process is both transparent and free of foul play.
It is unfortunate the government has decided to turn a deaf ear to the MFP's proposal.
In fact, live broadcasts of such readings are not unprecedented. Things were conducted in this way, in accordance with the wishes of journalists attached to parliament, for quite some time.
But they reverted to closed-door meetings after the government said some officials felt uncomfortable about publicly airing their content, particularly when it comes to controversial or clandestine budgets.
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who doubles as the commerce minister, said a live broadcast would be not appropriate as some issues are too sensitive and should not be discussed in public. If exposed, it may give some people an advantage over others. The veteran politician insisted all the budget data would be explained eventually.
It's an open secret, however, that the process of scrutinising the budget provides a chance for some politicians to pressure state officials so their electorate wins a bigger budget. Worse still, some politicians have embezzled money in exchange for approving state projects.
One high-profile case involved Anurak Tangpanitan, a former Pheu Thai MP, who demanded 5 million baht from the Underground Water Department, and threatened to scrap certain projects if his demand was not met. Anurak was rewarded with a six-year jail sentence and is now petitioning the Supreme Court.
Nattapong Ruangpanyawut, an MFP member and head of a House panel studying budget allocation and administration, said he still worried about loopholes that enable some politicians to make ill-gotten gains from this process.
For instance, there are allegations that MPs with close ties to contractors have been trying to put themselves in panels overseeing construction projects.
House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, however, downplayed concerns of embezzlement, saying politicians have learned their lesson and such foul play is difficult to get away with now in this era of social media. He also warned his fellow politicians to act with integrity as the public is watching, adding that anyone who is caught red-handed would have no political future.
Given such awareness, Mr Wan, who is in a position to make proactive moves on the matter, should support the MFP's initiative as the cameras would be the best way of keeping MPs honest.
A live broadcast via parliament's Facebook account would allow the public to observe how their MPs are planning on handling taxpayers' money, instead of just relying on a summary of the meeting, which could be useless, and their stances on certain issues.
The House speaker should not miss this chance to promote such public participation, which is without doubt vital for democracy to flourish.