Bangkok: The first week of the parliamentary session witnessed a fiery exchange between Sophon Saram, the Speaker of the House, and Pakornwut Udompipatkul, a party-list MP from the People's Party. The confrontation revolved around parliamentary rules and the handling of urgent interpellation questions. The Speaker emphasized his responsibility to maintain order, expressing concern that emotional influences should not sway parliamentary decisions. He further stated his reluctance to involve parliamentary police to avoid tarnishing the reputation of both individual members and Parliament as a whole.
According to Thai News Agency, the session concluded with Mr. Apiwit Thiprat from the Palang Pracharath Party posing the first oral question regarding future flood preparedness. Mr. Apiwit's inquiry received a response from the Deputy Minister of Interior, which he appreciated before the session moved on to the next question.
As the meeting proceeded, Mr. Pakornwut highlighted Rule 160 of the parliamentary procedure, pointing out that while urgent questions are limited to 30 minutes, exceptions exist if fewer than three urgent questions are present. He argued that with the second question postponed, additional time should be allocated to benefit subsequent urgent inquiries.
The debate intensified when Mr. Sophon perceived Mr. Pakornwut's comments as a lecture on regulations. He expressed frustration over being accused of rule violations and dismissed the argument as trivial. This prompted a protest from Mr. Pakornwut, escalating the tension. In response, Mr. Sophon reiterated his role in maintaining meeting decorum and cautioned against allowing personal emotions to influence proceedings. He urged members to respect the Speaker's decisions and avoid creating a negative image for Parliament by involving police intervention. Concluding the matter, he called for the continuation of the session.