Democrat MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thepthai Senpong, today hit back at government chief whip Wirat Rattanaseth, a Palang Pracharat MP, for blaming the Democrats for the cancellation of two House meetings last week due to the lack of a quorum.

He admitted that several Democrat MPs were absent from the meetings, as were several Palang Pracharat MPs, while insisting that members of governing coalition parties have the right to vote independently on any issue, unless there is a resolution adopted by all coalition parties that their MPs will vote in unison.

Mr. Thepthai defended the right of six Democrat MPs, himself included, to vote in support of the opposition motion last week, which seeks to set up an ad hoc panel to investigate the impacts of pre-election junta’s orders and executive orders issued under Section 44 of the interim constitution.

The Democrat MP said, however, that he will attend the House meeting on Wednesday, along with his five Democrat colleagues, to make sure that there is a quorum and that they will, again, vote in support of the opposition motion.

He also suggested that government chief whip, Mr. Wirat, make sure that all Palang Pracharat MPs attend the meeting.

Dr. Jate Dhonavanik, a former member of the Constitution Drafting Committee, has suggested that the Government back down from its demand for a vote recount, in order to allow the House to function smoothly.

In the vote recount, he said that only the MPs who were at the meeting last week should be allowed to attend, otherwise it would be considered a new vote.