South-East Asia (Page 1,555)

A total of 35 standing committees of the House of Representatives will be set up before the new government is formed.

The House met on Friday, but the session did not start right away due to the lack of quorum.

While waiting for more members, which took about an hour, parliament president Wan Muhamad Noor Matha opened the floor for MPs to raise any concerns about such delays.

Mr Wan told the meeting that a Move Forward Party (MFP) MP had proposed the formation of 35 standing committees before the new government is sworn in.

He said he told Pichet Chuamuangphan, the first deputy House speaker, to chair a discussion to create 35 standing committees of 15 members each.

He said the secretariat’s parliamentary office will work on the details, to be completed by the end of the week.

MFP MP Parit Wacharasindhu, who raised the issue in the meeting, thanked Mr Wan for addressing his concern.

He said having the standing committees even before knowing which parties will be in the government or on the opposition side will have benefits for the checks and balances process, Mr Parit added.

Previous statistics showed that most of the presidents of standing committees were from political parties that have their people as ministers.

Therefore, appointing committee members and the presidents of such committees before the government is formed would enhance the rigour of the checks and balances carried out by the groups, he said.

Among the 35 standing committees will be the Committee on Legal Affairs, Justice, and Human Rights; the Committee on Transport; the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on the Armed Forces.

PHUKET: Local officials remain on high alert after five people, including four foreign tourists, drowned near beaches on this resort island over the past week.

Muang Phuket District Chief Pairoj Srilamoon said on Friday the five drowning cases were reported from July 28 to Aug 3. Since the beginning of this year, 12 people have drowned in rough seas there.

The recent five drownings include a Senegalese tourist at Freedom beach, two Indians at Karon beach, and one Thai and a Russian tourist at Surin beach. The latter’s body was found on Thursday.

Mr Pairoj said the Russian tourist was identified as Alexander Iunemen, 41. He travelled to Phuket with relatives and stayed in a hotel near Surin beach.

He said red flags have been erected along Surin beach to warn people that swimming is not allowed due to the strong waves and winds during the monsoon season. But some visitors violated the rules.

Iunemen’s body was found on Thursday evening. A lifeguard performed CPR before taking him to Thalang Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

With the increase in drownings on the island, governor Narong Woonciew ordered local authorities and lifeguards to keep a closer eye on tourist safety.

He ordered that clear warning signs be put up highlighting the rough seas and forbidding people from swimming in certain areas. Police must always patrol to safeguard tourists, he said.

Deputy governor Anuphap Rodkwan Yodrabam held a meeting on Friday with the public and private sectors to discuss safety measures.

Mr Anuphap said he ordered local administrative offices to check the number of lifeguards on each beach and vowed to hire more if needed.

Local authorities must also check if the lifeguards require more training and have sufficient rescue equipment, he said.

He said local authorities will join hands with the private sector to campaign for tourist safety while more safety information will be promoted. “Some drowning cases were caused by rule violations. That said, we have held constant discussions in a bid to prevent tourists from drowning since May,” said Mr Anuphap.

Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat alluded to the retrograde state of Thai democracy on Friday as he urged young university students to help redefine the future of their country.

Mr Pita acted as a special speaker at an orientation for freshmen at Thammasat University, talking on the topic of democracy, liberty and fairness — seen as the three pillars of a creative society.

During the event, Mr Pita said more than half of the countries in the world are democratic but that global democracy is rapidly declining.

Regarding inequality, the wealthiest people were previously calculated at 1%. As inequality has doubled 16 times, the world’s wealthiest now possess 50% of the assets on earth, while the rest only possess 2%, he said.

“We are in a world where democracy, freedom and justice are moving backward,” said Mr Pita, who failed on July 13 in his initial bid to become the country’s next prime minister after he was unable to secure enough support from junta-appointed senators.

”When looking back at Thailand, does Thai democracy today mean that a group of appointed senators can vote against a PM candidate voted for by the people? Doesn’t real democracy mean that all people are equal? Then why was the people’s power counterbalanced by a power that did not come from the people?” he asked.

“Now, independent organisations can interfere with democracy, while freedom of expression and living conditions are moving backward,” Mr Pita said.

“Thailand needs a new generation to redefine democracy, freedom and justice in the country to learn about the past and define things for the future. This is the energy of the new generation, and it is about time to think big,” he said.

Mr Pita urged students to gain as much knowledge as they can and think outside of the box to effect change.

Activist mulls probe into PM candidate

Pheu Thai members on Friday defended Srettha Thavisin against tax dodge allegations, saying that no ethical issues arose during his screening process.

On Thursday, political activist Chuvit Kamolvisit held a press conference to describe what he said was evidence of irregularities in a land purchase by property developer Sansiri in August 2019, at the time when Mr Srettha was its chief executive.

He said Mr Srettha signed off on the purchase and sale agreement of a 1,600-square-metre plot of land on Sarasin Road for 1.57 billion baht from 12 people who owned the land under one title deed. He said that instead of 521 million baht in taxes, the company only paid 59.2 million for the transaction.

Mr Chutvit claimed the company avoided a huge tax payment by allowing each of the 12 individuals to transfer smaller plots to Sansiri, taking 12 days to complete the process.

Anusorn Iamsa-ard, a Pheu Thai list-MP, said on Friday the party is open to public verification of its prime ministerial candidate.

He said a legal team from the party had checked all the evidence and was confident that there was nothing wrong in the candidacy screening process.

“Mr Srettha is qualified to be the next prime minister,” Mr Anusorn said. “He’s done nothing that violates the constitution, laws or ethics.”

He said Mr Chuvit should verify his information with the Revenue Department before addressing the public. He also questioned Mr Chuvit’s motives for making the allegations ahead of the vote for a new prime minister in parliament.

Chanin Rungtanakiat, Pheu Thai deputy spokesman, said all real estate developers know that it is normal for a buyer and a seller to make a contract to share tax payments and other fees.

Sometimes, a seller may offer to pay for all taxes and expenses if he or she is satisfied with the land price, he said, adding there was nothing suspicious about this.

Meanwhile, political activist and former senator Ruangkrai Leekitwattana said he wants to investigate Mr Srettha’s alleged tax evasion.

Mr Ruangkrai previously accused Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat of holding shares in a media company.

“I have knowledge about the tax payment,” he said. “I spotted an irregularity in the land purchase, and I also want to investigate the case, especially since it involves a prime minister candidate.”

PPRP likely to join bloc to ensure stability of govt

The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) is likely to join a new coalition led by the Pheu Thai Party, which is seeking to gather the support of at least 300 MPs to ensure a stable new government, according to a Pheu Thai source.

While Pheu Thai can now garner enough support from other parties to form a majority government, it still continues to work on persuading more parties to join to ensure the new government has a combined number of up to 300 MPs.

After the vote for prime minister scheduled for Thursday was delayed, Pheu Thai will now have more time to work on the prospective coalition line-up, the source said.

Currently, parties that have now agreed to join the new coalition include Bhumjaithai, Chartthaipattana, the Democrats, Prachachat and a few micro-parties.

“If the United Thai Nation [UTN] Party and the PPRP are brought into the coalition, the number of MPs will rise to about 300,” the source said.

Of the two parties, the PPRP is more likely to join, with talks between the two ongoing following Gen Prawit Wongsuwon’s re-election as leader hours after stepping down from the position on July 29.

According to observers, if Pheu Thai includes either or both the PPRP and the UTN, it can expect to face heavy criticism for reneging on its word before the May 14 election that it would not work with the so-called “uncle” parties, referring to those linked with military leaders involved in the 2014 coup.

The “uncles” refer to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the former UTN chief adviser and its prime ministerial candidate, and Gen Prawit, the PPRP leader and its prime ministerial candidate.

The source went on to say that Gen Prawit’s re-election as the PPRP leader could be a sign that he might want to establish a minority government with 188 MPs from the parties in the outgoing government and dozens of renegade MPs from rival parties.

“A minority government could be formed if the MFP (Move Forward Party) was disbanded over its policy to amend Section 112 of the Criminal Code, known as the lese majeste law,” the source said.

Can’t we speak? Move Forward Party MPs react as parliament president Wan Muhamad Noor Matha adjourns Friday’s meeting after lawmakers debated why a motion proposed by MFP MP Rangsiman Rome to reconsider the rejected renomination of party leader Pita Limjaroenrat for PM was turned down. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)

The Constitutional Court already accepted for deliberation a petition filed by lawyer Theerayut Suwankesorn who claimed the MFP’s policy to amend Section 112 breaches Section 49 of the constitution, which prohibits people from using their rights and freedoms to overthrow the constitutional monarchy.

“In this scenario, the 188 MPs would nominate Gen Prawit for a PM vote in parliament with the support from the 250 senators who are close to him and about 30 renegade MPs. Pheu Thai would then be forced into the opposition, along with small parties [while the MFP was disbanded].

“Gen Prawit is still keen to become prime minister. If there is a window of opportunity, he will seize it,” the source said.

Meanwhile, deputy Pheu Thai leader Phumtham Wechayachai said on Friday that parties that would join the Pheu Thai led coalition should support its PM candidate, Srettha Thavisin, in the next prime ministerial vote.

“If they disapprove of the PM candidate of Pheu Thai, it will be difficult for us to work together,” he said.

He also downplayed talk of the allocation of cabinet seats among prospective coalition allies.

“Only after the new prime minister has been elected will the allocation of cabinet seats be discussed … It is still not known how many parties and MPs will make up a new coalition,” Mr Phumtham said.

However, PPRP secretary-general Capt Thamanat Prompow on Friday dismissed a report that he would lead a group of PPRP MPs to vote for Pheu Thai’s PM candidate in a bid to join the Pheu Thai led coalition. He said there had been no approach from Pheu Thai so far.