Sutin, Patcharawat attend House meeting after last week’s absence
Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang Thursday proposed that MPs inform Cabinet members at least one day in advance if they want to raise questions for them to answer in the House of Representatives.
Sutin put forward the proposal after attending the weekly House meeting on Thursday, anticipating some MPs might submit an interpellation for him to clarify his ministerial duty but no question was raised.
Last week, Sutin and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Patcharawat Wongsuwan were criticised by opposition MPs and coalition whips for not showing up to answer the opposition’s questions in the House.
The two claimed they were busy with their ministerial duties but the opposition alleged that they anticipated not being able to answer the questions so skipped the House meeting.
Both Sutin and Patcharawat were on standby in the House Thursday but no opposition MP raised any questions for them to answer.
Sutin said the House meeting regulations should be amended to require MPs to submit a question at least a day in advance so ministers would be prepared. He added that opposition often raised questions at 8am for Cabinet members to answer at 9am, making it difficult for them to reschedule their work in time.
He admitted that Move Forward did inform him a day in advance before last week’s meeting but explained he was really busy and thus unable to attend the House meeting.
Patcharawat also said he had been busy last week but that he had made himself available today even though no questions were posed to him.
