Speaker tries to silence Thai Democrats as debate continues

[webfact]

Speaker tries to silence Democrats as debate continues
Khanittha Thepphajorn,
Praphan Jindelertudomdee
The Nation


Pheu Thai MPs protest against Parliament President Somsak Kiatsuranont, saying he should have strictly enforced meeting regulations to stop the Democrats from taking too much time in their deliberation.

Jurin fights back, saying opposition has every right to question changes

BANGKOK: -- Parliamentary debate on charter amendment continues as opposition MPs use filibuster techniques and government MPs push to hurry the deliberation.

Yesterday was the sixth day of discussion about the second reading of the amendment concerning the election and qualification of senators.

The debate focused on Article 4 of the amendment bill, which will remove clauses in Articles 113 and 114 of the current Constitution in relation to the senators' selection committee. Parliament President Somsak Kiatsuranont tried to cut short the opposition Democrat MPs' objections, saying there was no point in discussing affairs of the selection committee, as every senator would be elected.

He also refused to give Democrat MP Siriwan Prasjaksattru and appointed Senator Prasong Nurack a chance to speak even though they were next in queue, much to the chagrin of the Democrats. He then called for a break.

Somsak later allowed the debate to continue.

Opposition chief whip Jurin Laksanawisit hit back at Somsak's actions, saying the Democrats had every right to debate the issue as the 2007 Constitution's Article 240, listing the mission of the senator selection committee, said that a replacement should be selected if an appointed senator's seat was empty.

Vetting committee chairman Samart Kaewmeechai explained that in the latter part of the charter amendment bill, it says that the current appointed senators will be allowed to continue with their job, but if any position becomes vacant, there will be no replacement until the end of the term.

Kamphaeng Phet Senator Krich Atitkaew said yesterday that he was losing patience and was thinking about stepping down as Senate whip because agreements made at the joint whip's meeting had never been implemented.

Meanwhile, the Democrats voiced dissatisfaction that the government whip had scheduled the charter amendment debate to be continued over the weekend, saying the administration should not try and rush through charter amendments.

The Democrat MP for Trang Satit Wongnongtaey said the government was trying too hard to rush through the charter amendment bill instead of paying attention to solving the people's problems.

He went on to say that lawmakers usually visited their constituencies on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to learn about people's problems, and that spending these days focusing on a charter amendment that focused on politicians would be selfish.

Meanwhile, government chief whip Aumnuay Khlangpha said the charter amendment debate would continue as scheduled today and tomorrow, with the session starting at 10am. No closing time has been set.

He went on to say that if the deliberation was not completed, more meetings would be scheduled, adding that he had been making compromises for the opposition.

The Senate will call a meeting to decide whether to vote on the fiscal 2014 Budget Bill after representatives of 22 Senate committees complete their debates on Monday and Tuesday.

After spending all day debating the subject, the lawmakers voted 332:108 in favour of Article 4 of the amendment. They will be resuming the meeting on Wednesday and not over the weekend as planned earlier.


-- The Nation 2013-08-31

[Ricardo]

There's no time to let these Opposition MPs speak, but there is time for a break, Yay for Red Democracy & Tea-Breaks !

Send in the Riot-Police Again !

[NongKhaiKid]

In Thailand where nothing and no one is truly independent the Speaker is a disgraceful case in point.

Far from being a neutral arbiter, adjudicator tasked with ensuring House business is conducted smoothly, fairly and in accordance with accepted procedures he is unashamedly totally biased and prepared to do whatever it takes to look after his parties interests.

WE should not be surprised however as it's all part of the PTP total control policy.

[smutcakes]

In Thailand where nothing and no one is truly independent the Speaker is a disgraceful case in point.

Far from being a neutral arbiter, adjudicator tasked with ensuring House business is conducted smoothly, fairly and in accordance with accepted procedures he is unashamedly totally biased and prepared to do whatever it takes to look after his parties interests.

WE should not be surprised however as it's all part of the PTP total control policy.

Go on tell me what has he done that is 'unashamedly totally biased". I presume you have some first hand experience and not just snippets from articles? Oh no, they took a break and the opposition recommenced the discussion after the break. Yes that sounds hugely biased and totally unacceptable. Do you actually know whats going on in the parliament?

[NongKhaiKid]

In Thailand where nothing and no one is truly independent the Speaker is a disgraceful case in point.

Far from being a neutral arbiter, adjudicator tasked with ensuring House business is conducted smoothly, fairly and in accordance with accepted procedures he is unashamedly totally biased and prepared to do whatever it takes to look after his parties interests.

WE should not be surprised however as it's all part of the PTP total control policy.

Go on tell me what has he done that is 'unashamedly totally biased". I presume you have some first hand experience and not just snippets from articles? Oh no, they took a break and the opposition recommenced the discussion after the break. Yes that sounds hugely biased and totally unacceptable. Do you actually know whats going on in the parliament?

Like everyone else I rely on what I read, see and hear and it's got more to do than calling a break.

I suppose you are going to say all the reporting on parliamentary business is biased against him and PTP

[smutcakes]

In Thailand where nothing and no one is truly independent the Speaker is a disgraceful case in point.

Far from being a neutral arbiter, adjudicator tasked with ensuring House business is conducted smoothly, fairly and in accordance with accepted procedures he is unashamedly totally biased and prepared to do whatever it takes to look after his parties interests.

WE should not be surprised however as it's all part of the PTP total control policy.

Go on tell me what has he done that is 'unashamedly totally biased". I presume you have some first hand experience and not just snippets from articles? Oh no, they took a break and the opposition recommenced the discussion after the break. Yes that sounds hugely biased and totally unacceptable. Do you actually know whats going on in the parliament?

Like everyone else I rely on what I read, see and hear and it's got more to do than calling a break.

I suppose you are going to say all the reporting on parliamentary business is biased against him and PTP

Not at all, but you write with 100% certainty on the issue as if you were there- i would presume that given your 100% certainty that he was acting in an unashamedly biased way that you had some additional verifiable information on his actions. If you are just relying on that article i think you comment is a bit OTT, no? There is nothing really in it to justify your response.

[NongKhaiKid]

In Thailand where nothing and no one is truly independent the Speaker is a disgraceful case in point.

Far from being a neutral arbiter, adjudicator tasked with ensuring House business is conducted smoothly, fairly and in accordance with accepted procedures he is unashamedly totally biased and prepared to do whatever it takes to look after his parties interests.

WE should not be surprised however as it's all part of the PTP total control policy.

Go on tell me what has he done that is 'unashamedly totally biased". I presume you have some first hand experience and not just snippets from articles? Oh no, they took a break and the opposition recommenced the discussion after the break. Yes that sounds hugely biased and totally unacceptable. Do you actually know whats going on in the parliament?

Like everyone else I rely on what I read, see and hear and it's got more to do than calling a break.

I suppose you are going to say all the reporting on parliamentary business is biased against him and PTP

Not at all, but you write with 100% certainty on the issue as if you were there- i would presume that given your 100% certainty that he was acting in an unashamedly biased way that you had some additional verifiable information on his actions. If you are just relying on that article i think you comment is a bit OTT, no? There is nothing really in it to justify your response.

I thought it was clear that i have seen more than one article but it doesn't fit your argument.

I'm happy to agree to disagree.

[Halion]

If it walks like a duck and it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck . Guess what, it is most probably a duck !!

[moe666]

Ok children time to stop bickering, anyone from the forum who has been to Parliment

[SOTIRIOS]

....dictatorship, anyone....???

[hansnl]

In Thailand where nothing and no one is truly independent the Speaker is a disgraceful case in point.

Far from being a neutral arbiter, adjudicator tasked with ensuring House business is conducted smoothly, fairly and in accordance with accepted procedures he is unashamedly totally biased and prepared to do whatever it takes to look after his parties interests.

WE should not be surprised however as it's all part of the PTP total control policy.

Go on tell me what has he done that is 'unashamedly totally biased". I presume you have some first hand experience and not just snippets from articles? Oh no, they took a break and the opposition recommenced the discussion after the break. Yes that sounds hugely biased and totally unacceptable. Do you actually know whats going on in the parliament?

I do not.

Maybe smutcakes don't

But you, NK-kid, do you?

My wife is 100% Thai, very interested in politics, and what we might call neutral.

But she feels shame about the way the coalition in which PTP is the biggest is making a mockery of what democracy should be.

And indeed, she is very much annoyed by the speaker of the house who will not let a single stone unturned to silence the opposition.

He, and PTP, and the redshirts, are using intimidation in and outside the Parliament to further their doubtful causes.

Including the degrading of the law-giving body of the land to call in the law-enforcing body.

Shameful, and a massive loss of face for Thailand.

[NongKhaiKid]

In Thailand where nothing and no one is truly independent the Speaker is a disgraceful case in point.

Far from being a neutral arbiter, adjudicator tasked with ensuring House business is conducted smoothly, fairly and in accordance with accepted procedures he is unashamedly totally biased and prepared to do whatever it takes to look after his parties interests.

WE should not be surprised however as it's all part of the PTP total control policy.

Go on tell me what has he done that is 'unashamedly totally biased". I presume you have some first hand experience and not just snippets from articles? Oh no, they took a break and the opposition recommenced the discussion after the break. Yes that sounds hugely biased and totally unacceptable. Do you actually know whats going on in the parliament?

I do not.

Maybe smutcakes don't

But you, NK-kid, do you?

My wife is 100% Thai, very interested in politics, and what we might call neutral.

But she feels shame about the way the coalition in which PTP is the biggest is making a mockery of what democracy should be.

And indeed, she is very much annoyed by the speaker of the house who will not let a single stone unturned to silence the opposition.

He, and PTP, and the redshirts, are using intimidation in and outside the Parliament to further their doubtful causes.

Including the degrading of the law-giving body of the land to call in the law-enforcing body.

Shameful, and a massive loss of face for Thailand.

No, I do not know anything more than what's reported which is only a small but important part of the business.

It's good to read your wife's view especially taking a neutral point of view. It's very refreshing.

Where I live the people are overwhelmingly red, not everyone is but they never express any views in public that I can see. Come elections there are no Democrat or any opposition banners or canvassers and further out into the rural area the totally red villages warn non-red, non-PTP not to go there as their safety cannot be guaranteed.

[thaicbr]

You don't have to go to parliament . you can watch it on TV and youtube.

[Sunderland]

In Thailand where nothing and no one is truly independent the Speaker is a disgraceful case in point.

Far from being a neutral arbiter, adjudicator tasked with ensuring House business is conducted smoothly, fairly and in accordance with accepted procedures he is unashamedly totally biased and prepared to do whatever it takes to look after his parties interests.

WE should not be surprised however as it's all part of the PTP total control policy.

Go on tell me what has he done that is 'unashamedly totally biased". I presume you have some first hand experience and not just snippets from articles? Oh no, they took a break and the opposition recommenced the discussion after the break. Yes that sounds hugely biased and totally unacceptable. Do you actually know whats going on in the parliament?

I do not.

Maybe smutcakes don't

But you, NK-kid, do you?

My wife is 100% Thai, very interested in politics, and what we might call neutral.

But she feels shame about the way the coalition in which PTP is the biggest is making a mockery of what democracy should be.

And indeed, she is very much annoyed by the speaker of the house who will not let a single stone unturned to silence the opposition.

He, and PTP, and the redshirts, are using intimidation in and outside the Parliament to further their doubtful causes.

Including the degrading of the law-giving body of the land to call in the law-enforcing body.

Shameful, and a massive loss of face for Thailand.

No, I do not know anything more than what's reported which is only a small but important part of the business.

It's good to read your wife's view especially taking a neutral point of view. It's very refreshing.

Where I live the people are overwhelmingly red, not everyone is but they never express any views in public that I can see. Come elections there are no Democrat or any opposition banners or canvassers and further out into the rural area the totally red villages warn non-red, non-PTP not to go there as their safety cannot be guaranteed.

Sounds about as much fun living there as Mogadishu in Somalia.

[geriatrickid]

There's no time to let these Opposition MPs speak, but there is time for a break, Yay for Red Democracy & Tea-Breaks !

Send in the Riot-Police Again !

That is not what happened. There was a dispute as to whether an APPOINTED senator could take the place of a previous senator. It was a procedural disagreement.

It was a good idea to take a break to allow the tempers to cool. Discussions resumed and the Democrats went back to reciting their rehearsed speeches.

[geriatrickid]

No, I do not know anything more than what's reported which is only a small but important part of the business.

It's good to read your wife's view especially taking a neutral point of view. It's very refreshing.

Where I live the people are overwhelmingly red, not everyone is but they never express any views in public that I can see. Come elections there are no Democrat or any opposition banners or canvassers and further out into the rural area the totally red villages warn non-red, non-PTP not to go there as their safety cannot be guaranteed.

Sounds like phuket and the treatment of anyone aligned with Ptp

[Thait Spot]

The Robert Mugabe school of democracy

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[ridkun]

To all PTP members: Let Democrats speak. You are not going to die, hurt or lose your girls letting them speak in the parliament.

[NongKhaiKid]

No, I do not know anything more than what's reported which is only a small but important part of the business.

It's good to read your wife's view especially taking a neutral point of view. It's very refreshing.

Where I live the people are overwhelmingly red, not everyone is but they never express any views in public that I can see. Come elections there are no Democrat or any opposition banners or canvassers and further out into the rural area the totally red villages warn non-red, non-PTP not to go there as their safety cannot be guaranteed.

Sounds like phuket and the treatment of anyone aligned with Ptp

Great thing this democracy and free speech, divide a country up by colour coding and declare no-go areas for other colours.

[Robby nz]

Well at least the speaker has learnt not to call the cops as soon as he doesn't get his way.

[geriatrickid]

Well at least the speaker has learnt not to call the cops as soon as he doesn't get his way.

No. The speaker will call upon the designated civil law enforcement officials to enforce the applicable laws.

Unlike the Democrats, the Speaker doesn't need the army to prop him up.

[kimamey]

There's no time to let these Opposition MPs speak, but there is time for a break, Yay for Red Democracy & Tea-Breaks !

Send in the Riot-Police Again !

That is not what happened. There was a dispute as to whether an APPOINTED senator could take the place of a previous senator. It was a procedural disagreement.

It was a good idea to take a break to allow the tempers to cool. Discussions resumed and the Democrats went back to reciting their rehearsed speeches.

Wasn't the break what was asked for so that the politicians could go back to their constituencies? Seems OK to me and as GK says it gives a chance to cool things down.

[scorecard]

In Thailand where nothing and no one is truly independent the Speaker is a disgraceful case in point.

Far from being a neutral arbiter, adjudicator tasked with ensuring House business is conducted smoothly, fairly and in accordance with accepted procedures he is unashamedly totally biased and prepared to do whatever it takes to look after his parties interests.

WE should not be surprised however as it's all part of the PTP total control policy.

Go on tell me what has he done that is 'unashamedly totally biased". I presume you have some first hand experience and not just snippets from articles? Oh no, they took a break and the opposition recommenced the discussion after the break. Yes that sounds hugely biased and totally unacceptable. Do you actually know whats going on in the parliament?

So smutcakes, what supported facts are your comments made on?

[Thait Spot]

Well at least the speaker has learnt not to call the cops as soon as he doesn't get his way.

 

No. The speaker  will call upon the designated civil  law enforcement  officials to enforce the  applicable laws.

Unlike the  Democrats, the Speaker doesn't need the army to prop him up.

Thaksin thanks Peua Thai's fuzz

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Valentine]

Well at least the speaker has learnt not to call the cops as soon as he doesn't get his way.

No. The speaker will call upon the designated civil law enforcement officials to enforce the applicable laws.

Unlike the Democrats, the Speaker doesn't need the army to prop him up.

But the police are at their beck & call.

[Robby nz]

Robby nz, on 31 Aug 2013 - 12:16, said:

Well at least the speaker has learnt not to call the cops as soon as he doesn't get his way.

No. The speaker will call upon the designated civil law enforcement officials to enforce the applicable laws.

Unlike the Democrats, the Speaker doesn't need the army to prop him up.

The 'designated civil law enforcement officials' as you call them had to be threatened by the speaker before they would confront the unarmed Dem MP's

But apparently he does need the riot police, he did call them to stand by outside parliament, didn't he?

Then lied about it saying they were traffic police.

Don't remember the Dems ever calling the army into parliament.

[backtonormal]

In Thailand where nothing and no one is truly independent the Speaker is a disgraceful case in point.

Far from being a neutral arbiter, adjudicator tasked with ensuring House business is conducted smoothly, fairly and in accordance with accepted procedures he is unashamedly totally biased and prepared to do whatever it takes to look after his parties interests.

WE should not be surprised however as it's all part of the PTP total control policy.

Go on tell me what has he done that is 'unashamedly totally biased". I presume you have some first hand experience and not just snippets from articles? Oh no, they took a break and the opposition recommenced the discussion after the break. Yes that sounds hugely biased and totally unacceptable. Do you actually know whats going on in the parliament?

I do not.

Maybe smutcakes don't

But you, NK-kid, do you?

My wife is 100% Thai, very interested in politics, and what we might call neutral.

But she feels shame about the way the coalition in which PTP is the biggest is making a mockery of what democracy should be.

And indeed, she is very much annoyed by the speaker of the house who will not let a single stone unturned to silence the opposition.

He, and PTP, and the redshirts, are using intimidation in and outside the Parliament to further their doubtful causes.

Including the degrading of the law-giving body of the land to call in the law-enforcing body.

Shameful, and a massive loss of face for Thailand.

Bit like the article...we will have to take your word for it that your wife is interested in politics and neutral. In this forum opinions and emotions appear to hold sway over facts. Too many posters on here have started the story (me included) My wife says (skip to next post)