Parliament president allows lengthy debate during tomorrow’s joint meeting

 

   

BANGKOK, 4 June 2019 (NNT) - A joint meeting of the House of Representatives and Senate is being held tomorrow to elect a prime minister. Senate Speaker Pornpet Wichitcholachai commented that senators have the privilege of voting for any candidate and debating on their qualifications while House Speaker Chuan Leekpai said all lawmakers are allowed to debate at great lengths on the candidates’ qualifications as well as procedures for the picking of the senators by the current premier.

 

In his capacity as parliament president, Mr. Chuan confirmed that all legislators can spend as much time as they may wish on tomorrow’s debate to which no time limit is set. It depends on individual candidates for premier as to whether they may wish to express visions before the lawmakers cast their vote.

 

Those who are named candidates for premier can do so in accordance with parliamentary rules. Besides, it depends on individual candidates as to whether they might show up during the joint House/Senate meeting to vote for prime minister since there are no parliamentary rules to that extent.

 

Meanwhile, the Senate speaker said tomorrow’s joint meeting to elect a premier would take more time than usual because many legislators have planned to take the floor. Pornpet assured that all legislators have the legal privilege of debating the qualifications of all candidates including Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

 

The election of a premier is being conducted on a roll-call basis. The Senate speaker commented that no meeting is being held among the senators as a prelude to the joint House/Senate meeting in order to adopt a unified resolution or form a voting bloc among the senators who can make a choice of their own. 

 

Gen. Prayut commented that he was not moved by tomorrow’s joint meeting to elect premier and that he is not attending it. He said he has no standpoint about the constitutiion amendment issue as demanded by the Democrat Party and remarked that it be handled by the legislative branch.

 

House of Representatives Secretary General Sorasak Phianvej confirmed that the joint House/Senate meeting to elect a premier under the constitution’s Article 272 begins at 11.00 a.m. tomorrow at the TOT auditorium on Chaeng Wattana road in Laksi district of Bangkok.

 

-- © Copyright nnt 2019-06-04

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12 minutes ago, webfact said:

debate at great lengths on the candidates’ qualifications

Let me see - deckchairs............................lottery tickets, uh, deckchairs. No, no, I already that one. 

I feel a Filibuster coming on.

 

No time limit on talking, so just keep talking until the constitutional time limit to elect a PM has passed. Then all bets are off.

 

This is gonna get good. Get your popcorn!