Bangkok: The House of Representatives convened to discuss the Election Commission's report for the fiscal years 2024-2025, allocating a total of five hours for the debate. This session was followed by an urgent motion addressing issues in the southern border provinces.
According to Thai News Agency, the meeting was chaired by Speaker Sophon Saram, during which members were initially given time to discuss public grievances. The agenda then moved to the consideration and acknowledgment of the Election Commission's (EC) performance report, presented by Mr. Saweang Boonmee, Secretary-General of the EC, along with his team.
Mr. Romtham Khamnurak, a party-list MP from the Bhumjaithai Party and representative of the government whip, informed the meeting of the two main agenda items: the EC's performance report and an urgent oral motion concerning the resolution of problems and development in the southern border provinces. The debate on the EC report was allocated five hours, split equally between both sides, while the urgent motion was set for three hours and thirty minutes.
Parit Wacharasindhu, a party-list MP and deputy leader of the People's Party, questioned the rigid time limits set by the government whip. He expressed concerns about the fixed 8-hour and 30-minute timeframe for both issues, suggesting flexibility to extend the debate if needed. Parit emphasized the importance of fair time allocation for all parties involved and argued against adjourning the meeting strictly at 7:00 PM.
Speaker Sophon explained that the time allocation was approximate and slight extensions would be permissible. He clarified that the five-hour timeframe for the Election Commission's report included time for explanations from those involved. He emphasized the importance of managing the debate within the allocated time to prevent operational issues.
Earlier in the session, Mr. Saeng presented the EC's accomplishments for 2024, which included organizing Senate elections, local by-elections, and supporting political party activities as mandated by the Organic Act on Political Parties. The report also highlighted the EC's ongoing efforts in 2025 to continue organizing local by-elections and addressing election complaints and cases.