Bangkok:Koravee Prisnanantakul, MP for Ang Thong and chairman of the government coalition's coordinating committee, has expressed disappointment following the opposition's walkout from a parliamentary meeting. This occurred despite the government's agreement to extend the no-confidence debate against the Cabinet to four days, with an additional day allocated for voting.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Koravee highlighted that the opposition was granted 45-48 hours for the debate, which is more than they had received in previous sessions. He questioned the opposition's claims of government narrow-mindedness, pointing out the efforts made to find a suitable solution. The challenge in scheduling the debate stemmed from the difficulty in ensuring the presence of all 18 ministers continuously due to conflicting commitments.
The initial request from the opposition was for a five-day debate. However, the government had proposed a three-day schedule from October 27-29. After discussions, the Cabinet agreed to extend the debate by one day, making it four days in total, with voting set for Friday. Nonetheless, the opposition suggested postponing the debate to November if only four days were allocated. Mr. Koravee noted that scheduling conflicts due to cabinet meetings, the Prime Minister's overseas trips, and royal ceremonies in December further complicated the potential to find a continuous debate slot.
Mr. Koravee also addressed the opposition's proposal for a debate starting November 17, which was found inconvenient by the government. He emphasized the need to consider the readiness of all ministers, not just a select few. The proposed schedule aimed to allocate approximately 63 hours and 30 minutes in total, with the opposition receiving 45-48 hours for their arguments.
The debate's scheduling was further complicated by statistics from previous debates under General Prayut Chan-o-cha's government, which ranged from approximately 33 hours to 43 hours and 43 minutes. Mr. Koravee argued that the current allocation of time for the opposition exceeds that of past debates, challenging allegations of obstruction or delays by the government.
In response to opposition demands for more time based on the number of ministers involved, Mr. Koravee disagreed with equating the number of ministers directly to debate duration. He urged the opposition to manage their time effectively and questioned their preparedness despite having had time to prepare since September.
Mr. Koravee concluded by urging the opposition to reconsider their stance and engage in discussions, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing parliamentary interests and government scrutiny. He reiterated that setting the debate date must consider cabinet ministers' availability, and called for cooperative efforts to move the debate forward.
Source Thai News Agency