Govt to call for a pause in debate on unity bills
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Two month recess after the House session tomorrow aims to calm political tension
The government is poised to issue a royal decree calling for a House recess in order to cool down the political heat generated by the reconciliation draft, PM’s Office Minister Woravat Auapinyakul said yesterday.
The recess will not, however, take place tomorrow as has been speculated because the House is obliged to clear a backlog of draft legislation, including six international agreements and two bills on money laundering and terrorism, Woravat said.
Pheu Thai MP Samart Kaewmechai said he expected the House to reconvene by August 1 and resume its deliberation on reconciliation. During the recess, the four draft bills on reconciliation would remain a priority on the House agenda, he said.
“After allowing the political temperature to drop by August 1, the House will again resume the reconciliation debate,” he said.
Democrat MP Ong-art Klampaiboon said the political tension would not dissipate so long as the government kept the reconciliation issue on a legislative fast-track.
Ong-art said the government should heed a suggestion from the King Prajadhipok’s Institute which called for engaging all sides in a dialogue on reconciliation in order to form a consensus before the legislative deliberation.
“The government should conduct a complete review on the reconciliation issue, otherwise the conflict might trigger a civil war,” he said.
The authorities have already earmarked the budget for organising the reconciliation dialogue, hence there is no justification to rush the passage of the reconciliation draft before resolving differences over the issue, he added.
He urged Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to try and reason with her fugitive brother Thaksin to stop pushing for his amnesty regardless of the consequences.
Although the reconciliation draft was sponsored by Matubhum Party leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin, many saw Thaksin as the man at the centre of the conflict over amnesty, which would be granted as part of the reconciliation process, he said.
Meanwhile, Democrat MP Nakhon Machim said even if the Pheu Thai Party changes its mind and abruptly convenes a House session to push ahead the two controversial bills, including the reconciliation draft, Democrat MPs would be ready to show up at the Parliament House with just a few hours’ advance notice.
“We will not make any overseas trips for the time being,” he said.
Nakhon said the House president should call on the House to recess and ease the political tension.
“A rush to fulfil Thaksin’s wish will set the country on fire,” he said.
