Bangkok: "Phumtham" agrees that ministers who have no role in the parliament should relinquish their party-list MP seats, paving the way for the order to be moved up to maintain a quorum in the parliament. Mr. Phumtham Vejjayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, acting as Prime Minister, gave an interview about the case of the Pheu Thai Party's northeastern MPs calling for the ministers who are party-list MPs to resign from their MP positions to maintain the quorum in the House of Representatives, saying that it is a proposal worth considering.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Phumtham admitted that he has the right to propose this idea, but explained that it is already a practice of the Pheu Thai Party. He noted that individuals with a greater role in the parliament may need to operate in dual capacities. However, for those without significant parliamentary roles, resigning from their MP positions could allow for the promotion of new members who can concentrate on ministerial duties. Mr. Phumtham emphasized that this proposal is beneficial and warrants serious consideration.
When questioned about the potential impact on resolving the quorum issue in the parliament, Mr. Phumtham pointed out that ministers were already addressing various challenges. He clarified that the problem on the parliament's first meeting day arose due to its overlap with a special cabinet meeting as work was just beginning. Despite these challenges, he observed that party-list MPs had been resigning sequentially, allowing the order to progress substantially.
"Those who still have a role in the parliament should do their job. Those who don't have a role in the parliament should be given the opportunity to work on their own responsibilities. This shouldn't be a problem. This is something that all MPs of the party must listen to," stated Mr. Phumtham.