Government whips will meet on Monday to discuss the opposition's proposal for a special House session to debate financial aid for people affected by the coronavirus pandemic, says chief government whip Virat Ratanasate.
However, he said parliament itself should not convene at the moment as efforts are being made to flatten the infection curve, which are largely paying off. A House meeting will draw a large gathering of MPs, which could lead to a resurgence in infections, Mr Virat said.
Still, the government whips have not ignored the opposition's proposal and they will discuss the matter at the meeting, he said.
Opposition parties are seeking an extraordinary House session to debate what they call "worrying spending" of government aid money on people affected by Covid-19 mitigation policies.
Pheu Thai Party and opposition leader Sompong Amornwiwat assigned deputy Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew to draft a motion seeking the session.
Dr Cholnan, also a Nan MP, said if the motion goes through, the opposition will centre its debate on the aid money to be granted from invoking three executive decrees related to the financing of Covid-19 relief programmes. One of the decrees governs the borrowing of one trillion baht.
He said the decrees require the advice of parliament as the aid package, one of the biggest in the country's history, "was a cause for concern". Dr Cholnan said only a handful of experts were appointed to lay out the spending plans.
At the same time, he added, the government has failed to explain how much of the budget was being trimmed to find money to help finance the relief measures.