Court ruling sought on Thai budget bill

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Court ruling sought on budget bill
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A PETITION signed by 115 MPs and senators was submitted to the Parliament president asking for the Constitutional Court to issue a ruling on whether the 2014 budget bill violates the charter. The petition was initiated by appointed Senator Paiboon Nititawan and Songkhla Democrat MP Wirat Kalayasiri.

In the petition, they argued that the House's ad hoc committee to alter the bill did not consult with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) or any court, including the Administrative Court, before cutting their budgets.

The petition addressed to Parliament President Somsak Kiatsuranont, handed over via Deputy House Speaker Charoen Jankomol, says Somsak is duty-bound to forward the matter to the Constitutional Court for consideration, as the petitioners were exercising their rights under the charter's Article 154, Wirat said. The group said the committee was in violation of Article 168.

Paiboon said the panel had decided unilaterally to cut the proposed budget of courts and independent agencies. Originally, the 2014 budget allotted to the courts of justice was Bt18.7 billion, including Bt2.2 billion for the Administrative Court and Bt1.5 billion to the NACC.

The committee later altered the figures to Bt14.5 billion, Bt2 billion and Bt1.3 billion respectively.


-- The Nation 2013-09-06

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One wounders if the constitutional court will be able to apply a ruling that will apply to no fear nor favour, the hammering the court got from the PTP over the past year may reflect in the out comes, then on the other hand, the court might find some balls of independence and tell the PTP where to go.