A House meeting in Thailand’s parliament was abruptly adjourned yesterday afternoon (Thursday), after Deputy House Speaker Suchart Tancharoen told MPs that he was hungry.
The sudden end to the meeting was ordered by Suchart, despite the fact that House Speaker Chuan Leekpai was in the chamber, waiting to take over the chairing of the meeting.
Chuan is reported to have told Suchart that his act was damaging to parliament and Suchart was seen “waiing” (the gesture of placing palms together in front of the chest) Chuan, saying “I take the responsibility.”
Before the incident, Pheu Thai MP for Lop Buri, Ubolsak Bualuang-ngam, asked Suchart whether the meeting should proceed, because he had observed that there were only about 20 MPs in the chamber.
He then proposed a head count to ensure there was a quorum, but the proposal was rejected by Suchart, claiming that there were several MPs loitering outside the chamber.
Ubolsak was persistent in demanding a headcount, saying that he had been in the chamber all along, listening to his colleagues, and would like the other MPs to do the same.
The two men then engaged in an argument, until Suchart abruptly announced that he was hungry and ordered the meeting adjourned.
House Speaker Chuan Leekpai
Earlier yesterday, Chuan complained that the House meeting on Wednesday was adjourned due to the lack of a quorum, because several MPs took leave for trips to Japan, organised by parliamentary committees because they had to spend the budget earmarked for foreign inspection trips, otherwise the money would have to be returned to the Budget Bureau.
He also said that the meeting on Wednesday should not have been adjourned by Deputy House Speaker Supachai Phosu because it was short of only four MPs to make the quorum, adding that, had Supachai waited for another 20 minutes, the meeting should have resumed.
The lack of a quorum, causing House meetings to be adjourned, has been happening more frequently of late, partly due to a conflict between government and opposition parties, with the Opposition insisting that it is the duty of government MPs to be present in the chamber to make a quorum.
