Opposition's court challenges for executive decrees

One involves the transfer of the FIDF's Bt1.14 trillion debt to the Bank of Thailand, and the other would permit government borrowing of Bt350 billion to finance flood-related investment.

Chavanond said the Democrat Party wanted the court to rule if the two decrees should be given urgency as required by the Constitution.

He said the Opposition’s clarification move would not affect the decree as claimed by the Pheu Thai Party since the laws had taken effect. “If the government is confident it is not committing any wrong, why does it have to make noise?’’ he said.

Although the Opposition did not seek a court interpretation – of the executive decree that allows the Bank of Thailand to extend the Bt350 billion soft loan – the party believes it needs improvement because only victims affected by floods last year would benefit from the scheme and not the southern people who faced a flooding situation this year.

“This is discriminating. The government must correct this urgently,’’ he said.

Meanwhile the Democrat Shadow Cabinet spokesman Attawit Suwanpakdi said the government must resign or dissolve Parliament if the Constitution Court ruled the two executive decrees were unconstitutional.

He said the Yingluck government intentionally issued the executive decree instead of issuing an additional budget bill to avoid checks.

“The decree to seek a Bt350 billion loan has details on only three pieces of paper, possibly meaning the government may postpone the [flood investment] projects to next year or the following one,’’ he said.

He said there was no urgency for the FIDF to transfer its Bt1.14 trillion debt to the Bank of Thailand because the debt, which is in government bonds, was not due until September, and the government had time to pass an Act. “Even if the government has money, it cannot carry out any task because the payments are not yet due,’’ he said.

Attawit added the government should have lowered corporate income tax from 30 to 23 per cent to solve the debt problem, but it chose to issue the executive decrees without transparency. “BOT executives who are directly involved in the matter did not get a chance to see the content of the decree,’’ he said.