House Decentralization Chair Backs New Rules for 35 Committees
House Decentralization Chair Kongkrit Chatmaleerat supports Speaker Sopon's plan to regulate 35 committees, citing duplicated work and political abuse
The chairman of the House Committee on Decentralization, Kongkrit Chatmaleerat, MP for Ranong from the Bhumjaithai Party, endorsed House Speaker Sopon Saran's plan to issue regulations controlling the work of all 35 standing committees. He said some committees have duplicated efforts and exceeded their authority by summoning individuals or documents for political benefit, causing damage to others. The new regulations would appropriately prevent such encroachment on duties.
Kongkrit affirmed that the government and Bhumjaithai Party are not afraid of oversight and are not seizing parliamentary power, but oversight must comply with the law, which provides multiple channels. It must not be exercised arbitrarily or abused to chase trends, create entertainment, or incite hatred in society.
He also pointed to Move Forward Party list MP Ratchanok Sri-in, who refuses to acknowledge sharing fake news and has proposed rule changes that may contravene the constitution, since the charter stipulates that the power to summon documents or persons rests with a committee resolution, not the chair alone. At the same time, he noted that Move Forward list MP Rangsiman Rome previously used the committee chair's authority to summon individuals for questioning without a committee resolution, which also violated the constitution. He asked who would be held responsible for the resulting damage and whether a formal complaint would be filed for investigation.
