Bangkok:The opposition has criticized the government for employing various mechanisms to hinder scrutiny, revealing three conspiracies aimed at consolidating power and undermining the rule of law.
According to Thai News Agency, the opposition coalition, led by Mr. Nattapong Ruangpanyawut and Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, held a press conference highlighting systematic attempts to obstruct their oversight duties. They focused on three main issues control over parliamentary committees, interference in judicial processes, and the use of spyware against opposition members.
The first issue involves the House Speaker's guidelines requiring a majority vote for parliamentary committee work, which the opposition claims obstructs their scrutiny role. The opposition fears this could render committees ineffective in checking government actions. The second issue concerns the Election Commission's move to involve the Constitutional Court in a Senate election fraud case, which the opposition views as an interference in judicial processes. The third issue involves security alerts received by opposition leaders, suggesting their devices were targeted by advanced spyware, allegedly used by government agencies to intimidate them.
Mr. Abhisit emphasized that while scrutiny faces challenges, the government should respect the functions of each party. He called for a fair resolution to committee work and highlighted attempts by the Bhumjaithai Party to introduce stricter parliamentary rules. Mr. Abhisit also urged the Supreme Court to act against SLAPP lawsuits and condemned spyware use by government agencies as a violation of personal rights.