Senators are sharpening their knives, ready to dig into the government’s public borrowing bill which is expected to go up for debate on Monday.
Appointed senator Khamnoon Sitthisamarn yesterday said the 400 billion baht loan bill, which was passed in three straight readings by the House of Representatives, would face much tougher scrutiny when it went before the Senate.
‘‘Several questions need to be answered and we will ask them in the debate,’’ he said.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva earlier expressed confidence the loan bill would be passed by the upper house.
‘‘That’s just his opinion,’’ said Mr Khamnoon.
Several senators, even those known to be friendly with the government, have objected to the government’s loan bill.
It was approved after the passage of an executive decree to authorise borrowing of another 400 billion baht.
Mr Khamnoon said he could not say if the Senate would pass or attempt to block the bill.
The government has come under fire for pressing for quick passage of the bill. The opposition, which claimed the bill lacked clear planning on spending, walked out of parliament in protest late on Tuesday.
Following the walk-out, a full-House committee made up of government MPs was set up and passed the bill. The loan legislation is pending Senate scrutiny.
‘‘The Senate does not object to the loan bills,’’ Mr Khamnoon said. ‘‘But we want the government to do it right, or put in place checks to ensure we do not spend more than we need to.’’
Opposition chief whip Witthaya Buranasiri yesterday criticised the government’s 400 billion baht loan bill as a blank cheque, and predicted the Senate would reject it.
‘‘In the end, the House and the Senate will have to form a joint panel to scrutinise the bill. There’s something amiss,’’ Mr Witthaya said. ‘‘A full-House committee was set up but no one said anything.’’
But government chief whip Chinnaworn Boonyakiat shrugged off the possibility that the loan bill would be shot down by the Senate.
‘‘They cannot make changes to the bill. If they do not endorse it, they will have to send it back to the House,’’ he said. Mr Chinnaworn was confident the government would be able to justify the country’s need to borrow.
Mr Abhisit said the bill was likely to clear the Senate.
Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij had explained it to a Senate committee on public borrowing.
His Majesty the King yesterday signed a royal command adjourning the extraordinary parliament session on June 23. The order was countersigned by the prime minister.
Meanwhile, a small commotion broke out at yesterday’s meeting when House Speaker Chai Chidchob told security guards to escort Puea Thai MP for Nan Chonlanan Srikaew out of the chamber.
Mr Chonlanan had refused to sit down and stop discussing the opposition’s walk-out on Tuesday, which the speaker felt was irrelevant to yesterday’s budget bill deliberation.
As security guards approached the MP, several other Puea Thai MPs stood up and told the guards to take them too.
The disorder prompted Mr Chai to call a five-minute break, after which Mr Chonlanan was allowed to speak for 10 minutes.
sharpen knives – to prepare to examine something very carefully or to criticise something sharply เตรียมการอภิปรายอย่างเข้มข้น
debate – a formal discussion that ends with a decision made by voting การอภิปรายในสภา
hardy souls – people who are strong and able to deal with or exist in unpleasant or extreme conditions (the writer is having fun with words here, exaggerating the real situation) คนใจกล้า คนเด็ดเดี่ยว
three straight – done three times without stopping (อ่าน) ทบทวนสามรอบ
scrutiny – careful examination of someone or something การตรวจสอบอย่างละเีอียดถี่ถ้วน
confidence – to feel certain that something is true or will happen ความมั่นใจ
object – to be against something or to express your opposition to it คัดค้าน
executive decree – an official order made by a leader or a government คำพิพากษา
authorise – to give official permission for something to happen ให้อำนาจ อนุญาต
come under fire – to be criticised severely ถูกวิจารณ์อย่างรุนแรง
press for – to try in a determined way to get someone to do something รบเร้า
pending – waiting to be dealt with, settled or completed ยังคาราคาซัง, ยังค้างอยู่
check – something that controls another thing and stops it from getting worse, too powerful, etc.
ensure – to make sure ทำให้มั่นใจ
(the) opposition – one or more political parties that are not a part of the government ฝ่ายค้าน
whip – an official in a political party whose job is to make certain that other members go where they are needed and that they vote in the correct way วิป
blank cheque – a check that does not give an amount of money allowing a person to put in any amount he or she chooses เช็คเปล่า
predict – to say what you think will happen in the future ทำนาย
joint panel – a group of people, made up of members from two or more different groups, that makes decision or judgments คณะกรรมาธิการร่วม
shrug off – to show that something doesn’t worry or upset you ไม่แยแส
endorse – to express support for someone or something, especially in public ให้การสนับสนุน
justify – to show that there is good reason for something แสดงเหตุผลที่ดีพอ
adjourn – to temporarily end something such as a meeting or a trial ยุติชั่วคราว
extraordinary session – a meeting or a set of meetings that are called outside the normal period of time when such a meeting is held การประชุมวิสามัญ
countersign – to sign a document that someone else has already signed การลงนามเอกสารร่วม
commotion – noise and confused activity ความสับสนวุ่นวาย
escort – to go with another person การไปเป็นเพื่อน
chamber – a large room in a public building, especially one used for meetings ห้องประชุมใหญ่
irrelevant – not important to what you are discussing or doing ที่ไม่เกี่ยวข้องกัน
deliberation – long and careful discussion or thought ความรอบคอบ ความใคร่ครวญ
disorder – a situation in which people behave in a noisy or violent way in public, often as a protest against something ความไม่สงบ
prompt – to cause something to happen or be done
Posted by Terry Fredrickson at 09:06 AM
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