Pheu Thai gears up to grill ministers

Pheu Thai gears up to grill ministers

Transport, schools, agriculture targeted

The opposition bloc led by the Pheu Thai Party is seeking to grill cabinet ministers of the government in the first interpellation session of the House of Representatives on Wednesday and Thursday, according to a parliament source.

The current government remains in charge after the March 24 election and it will step down after the new cabinet is sworn into office.

Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, who secured his second term as prime minister in a vote by parliament on June 5, earlier said the lineup of 35 cabinet ministers had been finalised, and the list will be submitted for royal endorsement this month.

The source said Sorasak Pienvej, secretary-general of the House of Representatives, has scheduled the House meeting as ordered by House Speaker Chuan Leekpai, with interpellations filed by Pheu Thai MP for Surin Khrumanit Sangphum for three cabinet ministers of the current government to answer.

An interpellation is a series of questions formally asked of a government minister in parliament.

One question dealing with the expansion of Highway No.226 (Nakhon Ratchasima-Ubon Ratchathani) from two to four lanes, is for Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith to answer.

Another question will be for the Education Minister to explain how to solve the problems facing teachers, while another is for the Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Grisada Boonrach to answer on the issue involving the digging of a reservoir in Ban Ko Kaew in Surin's Samrong Thap district.

However, Teerakiat Jareonsettasin recently resigned as education minister as he was appointed as a senator.

Gen Prayut will make a decision about who will be assigned to answer the questions on behalf of the minister who resigned, the source said.

Apart from the interpellations, some MPs will also table urgent motions for deliberation by the House. Pheu Thai MP for Ubon Ratchathani, Chuwit Pitakpornpanlop, and Pheu Thai MP for Sakon Nakhon, Apichart Tirasawasdichai, will jointly propose a motion for the House to look into the problem of falling crop prices which have upset farmers, who are urging the government address their problems.

Another motion will be proposed by New Palangdharma Party MP Rawee Machamadon to ask the House of Representatives to set up a committee to study the case involving the Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) board's decision to offer extended contracts to Bangkok Expressway and Metro Plc (BEM).

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