The government has breathed a sigh of relief now that the budget expenditure bill has cleared its first hurdle.
The bill was the first decisive test of solidarity of a government sitting on a very thin majority. It also served as a gauge measuring the extent of the opposition’s potency in grilling the government over its national spending plans.
However, the next phase of the bill will be seen as a barometer of how well the opposition can make good on its pledge to trim proposed budget expenditure.
In the vote that concluded the recent threeday budget debate, 251 MPs were in favour, 234 abstained while no MP voted against the bill.
Even though the government won the first round in practice, the opposition came out of it more favourably. According to a Suan Dusit Poll, the opposition was given 6.94 out of 10 possible points — compared to the government’s 5.11 — in the debate.
On the basis of satisfaction, 56% of respondents said they were unhappy with the debate while 43% were satisfied with it. The poll was carried out among 436 people.
The 2020 budget bill governing the 3.2-trillion-baht spending plan will now move to the most crucial stage of the legislative process — scrutiny — and the opposition will have to prove its worth by pushing for a successful expurgation of the “fat” and the “unwarranted” content in the national spending blueprint, according to political experts.
Large, medium and small parties represented in parliament were each given seats on the budget scrutiny panel in proportion to their size in the Lower House. The main opposition party, Pheu Thai, was allocated the biggest quota of panel members, followed by the ruling Palang Pracharath Party and Future Forward Party.
Political experts said the opposition has its work cut out on the scrutiny panel. However, they said the survival of the budget bill will be tied to the views of constituents.
Some opposition members said they are anxious that if they vote against the bill they could be construed as turning their backs on the proposed national budget.
Some MPs insisted they fear the wrath of their constituents if they reject a budget bill which will ultimately provide an injection of funds for various developmental projects.
After the budget is vetted and possibly trimmed in the second reading, it will go before a third and final reading which will decide its fate.
The final reading of the bill, according to the experts, could sink the government if the opposition musters enough nerve and support across the House to vote it down.
Opposition chief whip Sutin Klangsang has said the bill always looked set to pass its first reading but called for changes to be made.
“We hope [the government] will improve the draft bill in the second reading. We don’t want to see a House dissolution or the cabinet stepping down as a result of this. It was difficult for us to vote for the bill, but we couldn’t reject it arbitrarily out of concern for the country.
“We’ve given the government a chance. We’ve granted the bill its first passage. In the second reading, we’ll do our best to revise and improve the bill. We’ll vote for it if it’s improved but if it isn’t, we’ll shoot it down in the third reading,” he said.
Defection draws strong rebuke
Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan, a former Democrat, laid himself open to criticism from his old party this week when he proposed the appointment of a political aide to the cabinet for approval.
Mr Nataphol, now deputy leader of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), sought to name Democrat member Anucha Buraphachaisri as assistant to the education minister to replace Kraiserm Totaptiang who resigned early this month.
Deputy Prime Minister and Democrat leader Jurin Laksanawisit who was present at the cabinet meeting did not beat around the bush when he lambasted Mr Nataphol over the move, according to political sources.
The upset Democrat leader reportedly left his fellow cabinet members under no illusion that Mr Anucha was at that point a Democrat member and took Mr Nathapol to task for paying lip service to political etiquette by nominating a Democrat to work for him under the PPRP’s quota.
Mr Jurin was quoted as saying Mr Anucha remained a Democrat member through and through and should he accept the post he would be in serious trouble for violating party regulations.
Mr Nataphol withdrew the nomination as a result but was expected to try again after Mr Anucha sorted things out.
According to political observers, Mr Jurin had the right to be upset given the status of Mr Anucha in the party. Awarding him a political position under the PPRP’s quota was a slap in the face.
However, after word of the incident got out, it was reported that Mr Anucha handed in his resignation as a Democrat member.
It was believed that Mr Anucha was waiting for the Oct 23 by-election in Nakhon Pathom’s Constituency 5 to pass before switching to the PPRP. He was reportedly putting his resignation on hold out of concern that his departure would have a negative impact on the party during the election campaign.
Mr Anucha was quoted as telling his close aides upon handing in his resignation letter that he was “done with the party”.
According to political sources, Mr Anucha was left dispirited by the party’s spectacular March 24 election defeat. The party has now become medium-sized, without any seats in Bangkok, and Mr Anucha, a two-time Bangkok MP, found himself virtually out of a job.
It is widely reported that he will now be put in charge of tackling teachers’ debts — a long-standing problem facing the Education Ministry — in his role as assistant to the education minister.
Mr Nataphol was among the first Democrat members to switch to the ruling PPRP which also lured a bunch of local politicians from the Democrats who went on to win many seats for the PPRP in Bangkok at the expense of their former colleagues.
According to political observers, Mr Anucha decided to part ways with the party amid growing speculation that several other Democrat members could follow suit.
Panel selection causes a stir
Future Forward Party (FFP) leader and listMP Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit has managed to join a House committee scrutinising the budget bill as an adviser despite protests from key government figures.
In its first meeting on Thursday, the 64-member committee allowed Mr Thanathorn to become an adviser, explaining that it was not authorised to make a judgement on his eligibility to participate.
Deputy House Speaker Suchart Tancharoen
earlier asked House Speaker Chuan Leekpai to rule whether Mr Thanathorn could join the budget bill scrutiny panel as an outsider.
Mr Suchart argued it was not appropriate for Mr Thanathorn to be involved in the budget deliberation while his eligibility remains in doubt.
Mr Thanathorn was named among the FFP’s quota of eight representatives on the budget panel which prompted critics to question if he was qualified to join the scrutiny process while he is suspended as an MP.
Mr Thanathorn was suspended as an MP by the Constitutional Court, pending a ruling over a media shareholding dispute. Opinions are split over whether he can serve as a non-MP member.
Chief opposition whip and Pheu Thai MP for Maha Sarakham, Sutin Klangsang, said that Mr Thanathorn is currently not performing his MP duties as a result of the courtordered suspension so fellow MPs should have an open mind and give the FFP leader a chance, rather than trying to block him at every turn.
But Thossapol Pengsom, a legal adviser to the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), who advised Mr Suchart to ask Mr Chuan to rule on Mr Thanathorn’s eligibility, said that a committee member must be either an MP or a non-MP who meets a specific constitutional condition, which Mr Thanathorn may not.
Mr Thossapol said that if Mr Thanathorn is allowed to become a committee member despite his status remaining unclear, the budget bill could suffer from possible complications that might arise from his involvement.
If someone takes the matter to the Constitutional Court and the court rules that Mr Thanathorn is ineligible for an outsider’s seat on the budget panel, the crucial budget bill could be invalidated, dealing a serious blow to the government, Mr Thossapol said.
Sira Jenjaka, a PPRP MP for Bangkok, on Thursday called for a House meeting to remove Mr Thanathorn from the committee.
Mr Sira reasoned that though suspended from duties, Mr Thanathorn is still an MP, and that should rule him out of an outsider’s seat on the budget panel.
Mr Thanathorn’s nomination to the committee was endorsed by a House majority on Oct 19 without any protest, after the budget bill sailed through its first reading.
Asked if he was worried his advisory role would lead the public to think he was no longer a member of parliament, Mr Thanathorn laughed and said his MP status would be ruled upon by the Constitutional Court on Nov 20.