Bangkok: "Parit" hopes the Speaker of the House will expedite the inclusion of the motion to address energy issues for MPs to debate on March 25th. Parit announced the first set of draft laws and motions to address public problems, hoping the Speaker of the House will expedite the inclusion of the motion on energy issues for MPs to debate on March 25. He also urged the caretaker Prime Minister and Cabinet to attend.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Parit Wacharasindhu, a party-list MP from the People's Party, along with other People's Party MPs, announced the submission of nine draft laws and nine more motions to the Speaker of the House of Representatives to begin their work as the opposition. The nine urgent motions include four motions concerning urgent matters: the establishment of a special committee to monitor the impact of the energy crisis and the effects from the Middle East; a motion to address agricultural product prices; a motion to follow up on the progress of relief efforts for areas affected by natural disasters, such as Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province; and a motion to establish a special committee to investigate large-scale construction projects facing problems or obstacles for the public, such as the case of the State Audit Office building.
Meanwhile, the other five general motions include: a motion to establish a special committee to monitor legal reforms and the repeal of outdated regulations; a motion to establish a special committee to reform the civil service system; a motion to establish a special committee to monitor progress towards the Net Zero goal; a motion to establish a special committee to upgrade the skills of Thai people; and a motion to establish a special committee to study tax reform.
The first set of nine laws includes initiatives to create a just economy, such as social security reform through the Social Security Act, adjusting the minimum wage formula for fairness through the Labor Protection Act, and ensuring fairness for accommodation providers or equal treatment for lodging through the Hotel Act.
The second set of measures to address corruption and combat fraud includes transparency in government information disclosure through the draft Public Information Act and reform of the budget process through the draft Budget Procedures Act and the establishment of a budget analysis institution.
The third phase of decentralization to local authorities includes upgrading Bangkok through the draft Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Act, unlocking local power in terms of public service delivery and revenue generation through the draft Act on the Determination of Plans and Procedures for Decentralization, and the draft Act on the Establishment of Local Administrative Organizations, including Provincial Administrative Organizations, Sub-district Administrative Organizations, and Pattaya City.
The fourth measure aims to sustainably reduce electricity costs for the public by creating a free energy market through the draft Energy Business Act.
The fifth set of measures aims to elevate public services to international standards, including water supply through the draft National Water Supply Act, and unlocking public transportation through the draft Land Transport Act.
The sixth set of measures focuses on environmental protection, including addressing global turmoil through the draft Climate Change Act and managing waste systematically through the draft Waste Management Act.
Package 7: Educational reform to create meaning and happiness through the draft National Education Act, and to reduce the burden on teachers and create safe schools through the draft Act on Civil Service Regulations for Teachers and Educational Personnel.
Package 8: Protection of Citizens' Rights and Freedoms; Prevention of Gagging (or Suppression of Public Opinions) through amendments to the Criminal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, Civil and Commercial Code, and Civil Procedure Code; Protection of Peaceful Assembly through amendments to the Public Assembly Act; Protection of the Right to Bail through amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code; Ending the Culture of Impunity through amendments to the Criminal Code, the Constitutional Act on Criminal Procedure for Holders of Political Positions, and the Military Court Act.
Package 9: Political reforms to strengthen mechanisms for removing political officeholders, including Members of Parliament, Senators, Ministers, and members of independent organizations, as well as preventing collusion between the government and the National Anti-Corruption Commission through amendments to individual articles of the Constitution.
Mr. Parit reiterated that these nine motions and nine sets of laws are only the first batch that the People's Party has submitted to Parliament. He stated that there are many more laws that the People's Party intends to push through, and many motions necessary to address the people's problems. He affirmed that the People's Party will fully perform its duty as the leading opposition party to push for change through the legislative mechanism. He also hoped that the Speaker of the House of Representatives would expedite the inclusion of the energy issue motion, which the Speaker avoided discussing yesterday (March 19th), for consideration in the House of Representatives session on Wednesday, March 25th, so that MPs can debate it. Furthermore, he hoped that the caretaker Prime Minister and Cabinet would attend the debate, listen to suggestions, and personally clarify any questions to the MPs next week.
Mr. Parit also noted that the Speaker of the House of Representatives had scheduled next week's session for only one day, instead of the usual two days. He questioned why only one day was scheduled, when an additional session on Thursday could be added to consider other motions, such as addressing agricultural product price issues or other compensation and relief measures. Therefore, he hoped that the Speaker would act on his stated vision, which indicated a desire for more time in Parliament to consider draft laws proposed by MPs and the public. He suggested that some weeks could even include an additional Friday session specifically for considering these draft laws.