Bangkok, ‘Nantana’ reveals that the new generation of senators is proposing to amend the regulations, adjusting the roles of the ‘committees’ to work in response to the people’s needs. ‘Angkana’ reveals that someone is proposing to reduce the number of committees to 23, and is concerned that they will support it but there is no content to view.
Reporters reported that after the royal command to appoint Mr. Mongkol Surassajja as the President of the Senate, General Kriangkrai Srirak as the First Vice President of the Senate, and Mr. Boonsong Noisophon as the Second Vice President of the Senate on 27 July, the Senate President recently scheduled the second Senate meeting on 2 August. The important agenda for consideration is the amendment of the Senate meeting regulations to adjust some provisions to be consistent with the number of senators, including related missions, especially the number of standing committees and the number of committees in each group.
Ms. Nantana Nantvaropas, a member of the media grou
p and leader of the New Generation Senators, gave an interview saying that the group discussed preparing to propose a motion to amend the Senate meeting regulations, regarding the standing committees and the committees that will be in each group. From the original meeting regulations, there will be 26 committees and 2 more. As for the amendments, whether to reduce or increase, it must be considered to cover various issues that are issues in order for the work to be effective and to respond to the people as much as possible. As for the specification of individuals to be on the committees, it is a detail that must be considered after the main structure, which is the committees, has been considered.
‘The New Generation Senators group meets every day before concluding with a resolution to be prepared for submission and discussion with other groups to ask for support. Any resolution must have the support of at least 20 Senators, and the group believes that the resolution will receive full support,’ said Ms. Nanta
na.
When asked if there was a proposal to adjust the voting format for the president and vice president of the Senate to be transparent instead of secret balloting, Ms. Nantana said that it was a step that the public felt was dark. If it could be changed, it would be pushed for the public to be aware and feel that the operations and duties of the Senate were transparent and the public could monitor it. In the group’s motion to amend the regulations, it will be reconsidered whether it can reach that point or not.
While Ms. Angkana Neelpaichitr, a senator from the civil society group and public benefit organization, gave an interview that currently, details of the amendments to the Senate meeting regulations have been sent to some senators, asking them to support the amendment to reduce the number of committees from the previous 26 to 23, citing the reason that it is to save budget. However, she believes that if they want to save budget, they should do other things, such as reducing the budget for study tours
. However, she has not seen the details of the reduced committees, so she would like to call for the senators to work together transparently. Whoever proposes any amendments should also consider the content.
Ms. Angkana said that she did not mind the number of committees being reduced or increased, but should consider appropriately. The committees should be set in accordance with the intention of the constitution. For example, there used to be a committee on social development and children, youth, women, the elderly, the disabled and the disadvantaged. However, the constitution separated the origin of the senators to be a group of women specifically. When considering the establishment of the committees, the women group should be combined with the group of children, youth and people with diversity, which is a gender group. The disabled, the elderly and ethnic groups should be a separate group. As for the establishment of the subcommittees, she hoped that the chairmen of the committees in that group would be o
pen-minded enough to have representatives of the disabled and ethnic groups join the subcommittees so that there would be people representing different groups to work because it must be admitted that representatives of the disabled and ethnic groups were not elected to be senators.
Ms. Angkana also said that starting work in the committee must wait to amend the meeting regulations, which will take 30-60 days. She also sees another way: after proposing a motion, there will be a full debate in the House to present opinions and find a joint resolution. However, it must be considered in what form it will take.
When asked if there is currently a rumor about reserving the quota of committee chairpersons, Ms. Angkana said that she does not know who sits on which committees, whether they are suitable or have the experience. However, she thinks that the person who is the committee chairperson must have a clear direction in which direction they will work. Therefore, in addition to selecting Thammasat University based
on interests, they should also consider their experience, knowledge, and ability to work.
Source: Thai News Agency