Yearly awards see journos slam a 'sunken House'

Yearly awards see journos slam a 'sunken House'

The House of Representatives has been labelled a "sunken House" due its poor performance and the collapse or unexpected adjournment of several key meetings.

Every year reporters on the parliament beat pass judgement on the state of the democratic process in the country and this year decided the term Sapha Appang ("sunken House") befits a lower House which has repeatedly failed to prevent meetings coming to an abrupt end.

Such frequent collapses are uncommon and should be addressed as it means people's problems are pushed back, the reporters said. They felt the MPs, both from the government and opposition camps, do not have people's and national interest at heart.

Pheu Thai Party leader and MP for Nan Cholnan Srikaew was named a "rising star" while former government chief whip Wirach Ratanasate was dubbed the "fallen star". Dr Cholnan had been outstanding as opposition whip but missed out on key posts before eventually landing the role of party leader.

Mr Wirach, deputy leader of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) and ex-government chief whip, not only struggled to get the PPRP lawmakers and coalition partners working in unison, he was also suspended from MP duty pending a corruption trial.

The Senate, meanwhile, was given the dubious title of "coupmakers' guardians" for its role in keeping in place mechanisms to help the now-defunct National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) prolong its stay in power.

The Phutao Fao Moradok ("old protectors of the NCPO legacy") shot down all charter amendment proposals and bills seeking to abolish the coupmakers' legacy including the Senate itself, the 20-year national strategy and the national reform plan.

A plot by a group of PPRP figures to unseat Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in a censure debate vote was named by reporters as the event of year. The highlight of the no-confidence debate in early September was not what was being discussed on the floor, but the behind-the-scenes movement of key PPPR MPs who lobbied government MPs to cast no-confidence votes for the premier.

Gen Prayut survived the censure debate with the second lowest number of votes of confidence but two PPRP figures, Capt Thamanat Prompao and Narumon Pinyosinwat, were sacked from the cabinet shortly after.

After failing to find a lawmaker worthy of the title Khon Dee Si Sapha ("a saint/role-model of the House") in recent times, the award was again kept on ice this year.

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