The Move Forward Party (MFP) has slammed Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's decision to refuse to endorse a bill to end military conscription that it sought to push through parliament.
The proposed bill, one of the party's electoral pledges, sought to make military recruitment voluntary during peacetime. It also aimed to create a smaller, but more professional military.
Party MP, Rangsiman Rome, yesterday told a parliamentary briefing that he was informed by the House Secretariat that Gen Prayut had not endorsed the bill, which had been proposed by Lt Gen Ponsakorn Rodchompoo and other Move Forward MPs last year.
Section 133 of the constitution requires any bill which involves the state budget must first be endorsed by the prime minister before it can be debated in the House.
Mr Rangsiman said Gen Prayut had repeatedly made it clear on various occasions that he did not agree with volunteer-only recruitment.
"By not endorsing the bill, he abused constitutional power given him to consider whether a bill will adversely affect the country's fiscal position. Instead, he used it to satisfy his personal political agenda," Mr Rangsiman said.
He also said Section 133 was problematic as it allows the executive to interfere with the workings of the legislature.
"Since most bills use the state budget, a prime minister can stop any bill he doesn't like even before it enters the House for a debate," he said.