House Voting Reveals Flaws In Thai Democrat Party Unity

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House voting reveals flaws in party unity

By SOMROUTAI SAPSOMBOON,

PIYANART SRIVALO

THE NATION

A rift emerged in the ruling Democrat Party last week when some members voted against a bill on testimony in Parliament, implying some might also vote against the party's line on changes to the Constitution.

The lower house on November 17 voted 173 to 144 to pass the bill on testimony in the Senate and House of Representatives' committees to give teeth to committees wishing to punish people who resist a summons or are uncooperative when giving testimony.

The ruling Democrat Party's resolution initially agreed to fully support the bill but many of its members voted in Parliament against the party's line.

Niphon Visityutthasart, a Democrat who handled the bill complained during a party meeting to PM Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is also party chief, that the Democrat Party resolution seemed to have no meaning for many MPs who chose to oppose it.

"It set a precedent for members that they could vote as they wished – also it is against the party's line," he said. "It is not the norm for Democrats."

Another member, Wilas Chantrapitak, said many MPs might also vote against the party's resolution on constitutional amendments.

Abhisit seemed to know nothing of this as he was in Phnom Penh for a regional meeting last week.

Chief government whip Witthaya Kaewparadai admitted many Democrat MPs voted against the party line but said it was no problem as other coalition parties also disagreed with the bill and allowed their members to have free votes on it.

"The problem was that the coalition parties set the line after the Democrats' resolution, so that we had no time to change the party stance," said Witthaya, who is also a Democrat.

However the Democrats were supposed to have been unified in the vote unless the coalition Bhum Jai Thai Party lobbied through the party's secretary Suthep Thaugsuban to have some members vote against the bill, a party source said.

Of the 171 Democrat MPs, as many as 97 voted against the party line to oppose the bill. The group was led by Suthep and many senior members of the party included Kalya Sophon-panich, Charoen Kanthawong, Chamni Sakdiset and Sirichoke Sopha.

Members who voted with the party line included Chuan Leekpai, Banyat Bantadtan and Kraisak Choonhavan. Nearly all opposition MPs voted in favour of the bill.

-- The Nation 2010-11-24

[LaoPo]

House Voting Reveals Flaws In Thai Democrat Party Unity

Cracking is a better word than Flaws.....

BTW:

The lower house on November 17 voted 173 to 144 to pass the bill on testimony in the Senate and House of Representatives' committees to give teeth to committees wishing to punish people who resist a summons or are uncooperative when giving testimony.

Does that include the former Coup Players ?

LaoPo

Edited November 23, 2010 by LaoPo