The Prachatham Thai party, one of the 10 smaller parties in the government’s group, has announced its break from the coalition after it failed to get the chairman’s seat on one the 35 House committees.

Prachatham Thai party leader and a party-list MP Pichet Sathirachavan said today (Friday) that it was pointless for his party to join with the other nine smaller parties in order to increase their bargaining power with the government.

He said that the group wanted the post of one of the committees for Mr. Mongkolkit Suksintharanon, leader of the Thai Civilized party, which broke away from the coalition to assume the role of an independent opposition party.

Pichet said that he was very upset with the allocation of chairs of House committees, adding that this was not the first time that the smaller parties have been marginalized, citing the group’s failure to get a single cabinet seat or more vice ministerial posts.

The defection of Mr. Pichet’s party will render the government more vulnerable due to its wafer thin majority in the House.

Meanwhile, Mr. Somboon Uthaiwienkul, secretary to the House Speaker, said that the allocation of House committee chairs went smoothly and is complete, except for one post which is yet to be finalized between the Pheu Thai and Seri Ruam Thai parties.

He rejected smaller parties’ demands for one of the seats citing Section 60 of the Constitution, which clearly specifies that the committee chairs are to be allocated in proportion to the number of MPs of each party.

Mr. Somboon disclosed that the Palang Pracharat party chairs the following:

• Police affairs committee
• Communication, tele-communications and digital economy committee
• Financial, banking and financial institute committee
• House affairs committee
• Anti-money laundering
• Anti-narcotic committee
• Science, technology, research and innovations committee

Pheu Thai party received seats on:

• Energy committee
• Education committee
• Budget follow-up committee
• Foreign affairs committee
• Judicial affairs, state enterprises and public organizations committee
• Children, women and elderly people affairs committee
• Consumer protection committee
• Industrial affairs committee
• Public disaster mitigation committee.

The party is yet to discuss with Seri Ruam Thai party regarding seats on the anti-corruption and the administrative affairs committees.

The Future Forward party chairs:

• Land, natural resources and environment committee
• State security affairs committee
• Legal, justice and human rights committee
• Political development, mass media and public participation committee
• Economic development committee
• Labour affairs committee

The Democrat party received the following seats on:

• Commerce and intellectual property committee
• Agricultural affairs committee
• Social welfare committee
• National debt problem committee.

The Bhumjaithai party received seats on:

• The transport committee
• Tourism affairs committee
• Sports affairs committee
• Public health committee

Chart Thai Pattana party received a seat on the committee to resolve the farm produce price problem, while Pracha Chart party received a seat on the committee on decentralization, local and special administration.