Senators want court to examine rice deals

The Group of 40 Senators, led by Paiboon Nititawan, submitted its request asking the Upper House speaker to refer its case to the Constitution Court. 

Paiboon said yesterday that his group believed the government should have first sought endorsement from Parliament before entering into such agreements with the foreign rice buyers under government-to-government deals. He cited Article 190 of the charter, which states that a treaty with other countries or international organisations that has extensive impacts on national budgets, among other things, must be approved by the National Assembly.

The senator estimated that the government would obtain Bt114 billion from the sale of rice under G-to-G contracts, which would lead to a loss of between Bt44 billion and Bt51 billion. “The government will have to use the national budget to compensate for the loss,” he added.

He also called on the Cabinet to explain to the public details of the massive rice sales reportedly made to foreign governments. Government figures have declined to discuss the matter in detail.

At yesterday’s meeting of Parliament, opposition MPs complained that the previous meeting on October 2 was terminated prematurely by House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont. On that day, parliamentarians debated a request by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) to use the U-tapao military airport for a climate research study.

The government had called the meeting under Article 179 of the Constitution, which allows the Cabinet to request a general debate by the two Houses on “an important problem in the administration”, without any resolution to be passed.

Opposition chief whip Jurin Laksanavisit yesterday said that the Oct 2 meeting was declared closed although many opposition MPs were waiting to take the floor. He suggested that the Parliament resume debating the Nasa request.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is also the opposition leader, said yesterday that the October 2 meeting was declared closed prematurely without with the meeting chair consulting the participants. He said the meeting chair also rejected a request by a Democrat MP to call a quorum count.

Senate Speaker Nikom Wairuchpanit, who chaired yesterday’s meeting, said the chair had the power to close a meeting session without seeking a resolution. Participants of yesterday’s meeting later debated Nikom’s statement for more than two hours.