Seven opposition parties have agreed to demand that parliament president Chuan Leekpai reconsider his decision not to allow Seri Ruam Thai party leader Pol Gen Seripisut Temiyavet to continue his role in the policy debate parliament.

Representatives of the seven opposition parties met this afternoon to discuss Mr. Chuan’s ruling and decided to submit a letter asking him to reconsider his decision.

Speaking on behalf of the seven parties, Pheu Thai MP Cholnan Srikaew told the media that they would like Mr. Chuan to acknowledge the opposition’s view on the duty and the rights of Seripisut under the law, especially the agreement over time allocation for the speakers.

“We don’t want to tell the media that the chair of the meeting lacks neutrality or is biased in favor one side. Everything is clear, but we don’t mean the parliament president, but the chair of the meeting,” said Cholnan.

Meanwhile, Seripisut said that he still had 35 minutes left and two issues to talk about when he was ordered out of the meeting on Thursday night.

The two issues that he plans to raise relate to the source of money the government plans to raise to implement its policies and the incomplete oath taken by the cabinet during the swearing-in ceremony.

He recalled that, when he served as the national police chief during the Democrat-led government with Chuan as prime minister, he responded to every request from the government and he had respect for Mr. Chuan.

“But today Mr. Chuan is not the old Mr. Chuan, but a new Chuan. I don’t want to say whether he is good or bad. He (Chuan) has no right to take away my time,” he said, adding that he may file a complaint with the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Offices against Mr. Chuan for malfeasance in office in accordance with Section 157 of the Criminal Code.

Mr Chuan, however, refused to budge, saying that Mr Pornpetch who chaired the meeting last night had made the ruling by ordering Seripisut out of the meeting after he refused to withdraw his accusation against the prime minister.

He said he felt sorry for the incident because he has good relationship with Seripisut, but he had to “act against his will, be selfish” and to reconfirm Pornpetch’s ruling.