No House meetings after Cabinet oath-taking until policies are announced
The House of Representatives will have to stop convening for a while until the day the incoming government announces its policies to Parliament, House Speaker Chuan Leekpai said on Wednesday.
Chuan said during Wednesday's meeting of the Lower House that he was interested as to when members of the new Cabinet would take their oath before His Majesty the King, following media reports the ceremony would take place on July 16.
According to the Constitution, the oath-taking is mandatory for new Cabinet members before they can start working officially.
The House speaker noted that the new government is required by law to announce its policies before a parliamentary meeting within 15 days after the oath-taking.
Chuan said the regulations required the lower house to stop convening after the new Cabinet's oath-taking. "We will have to wait until the new Cabinet has a meeting with Parliament to announce the government policies," he added.
The speaker made the remarks during a debate on whether the house should take days off on the public holidays on July 16 and 17.
