Chuan says he won’t accept job of House speaker again
House Speaker and Parliament President Chuan Leekpai said he would no longer accept the responsibility of being House speaker, as he announced on Monday the completion of his task at the helm of the legislative branch after four years.
Speaking at a press conference at Parliament, Chuan said: “I’m proud that I could stay in the post for four years and I have almost completed my job.”
Chuan, a two-time former prime minister, was elected House speaker following the March 24, 2019 election.
“No more,” Chuan replied when a reporter asked whether he would accept the post of House speaker again.
“I can refuse it. I have been devoting myself to this task for the past four years. I’ve never made foreign trips or taken days off except when I got Covid-19.”
Chuan said he had been doing his best even during the latter part of the House’s tenure when the lack of quorum has been a recurring problem.
He said the lack of quorum had led to the House failing to enact the marijuana and hemp bill although the bill had been deliberated on for over a month.
He added that he had received good cooperation from MPs before the latter part of the House tenure.
As of Monday, Chuan said 393 MPs were still active of the 500.
He said 84 MPs had resigned during the period of 180 days before the election, tentatively scheduled for May 7, three MPs were fired for using others’ ID cards to record their presence, four MPs were suspended from duty by the Constitutional Court on corruption charges and four lawmakers had resigned before 180-day period but no by-elections were held to fill their seats.
Chuan said there were some useful bills pending deliberations by the House and he hoped the next government would take them up.
