Opposition's oversight of government dented by dissolution of Future Forward
The dissolution of the Future Forward Party has hit the opposition hard, severely undermining its ability to scrutinise the government's performance.
Leader of the ruling coalition, Palang Pracharat Party, is now taking full control of the House of Representatives, especially with the exits of two fierce critics -- former Future Forward members Piyabutr Saengkanokkul and Pongsakorn Rodchompoo.
Piyabutr was chairman of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, and Pongsakorn was chairman of the Committee on National Security, Border Affairs, National Strategy, and National Reform.
The move by 10 former Future Forward members to another party has also changed the quota of each committee’s chairperson. Future Forward’s successor Move Forward Party (MFP) can have only four seats but the party must sacrifice seats on two committees of the House in order to regain chairperson positions on the Committee on Justice and Human Rights and the Committee on National Security, Border Affairs, National Strategy, and National Reform.
The MFP does not want to lose the Committee on Justice and Human Rights since it is a means to scrutinise the government and other organisations and there is a possibility that Palang Pracharat will try to snatch it from them by proposing the name of Sira Jenjaka to head the committee.
All eyes also are on the fight of the Thai Liberal Party, which hopes to keep the reins of the House Committee on Corruption under the supervision of party leader Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves. Palang Pracharat has proposed government chief whip Wirat Rattanaset to take his place.
Palang Pracharat now has nine chairpersons heading 15 of the committees, putting the opposition in a difficult situation because even though the chair position remains the same, it will be hard to scrutinise the government with only six votes.
