People's Party Leader Accuses House Speaker of Power Abuse, Blocking Oversight
People's Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut accused House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha of abusing power to block parliamentary oversight, including withholding a petition on an Anti-Corruption Commission nominee case, refusing to convene joint sittings for charter amendments, and monopolizing appointments for international parliamentary duties. He also criticized the Speaker's rejection of a people's draft bill to annul the October 6, 1976 Revolutionary Council orders that increased defamation penalties.
At 9:30 a.m. on November 9, 2026, at Parliament, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, party-list MP and leader of the People's Party, spoke after a Cabinet meeting shadow session regarding the performance of House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha. He said that under the current Speaker, there have been attempts to use authority to distort the balance of oversight in Parliament. Beyond committee procedures that require meeting resolutions contrary to past practice, the Speaker has also held onto a petition submitted by MPs requesting the Speaker forward a matter to the Supreme Court President to establish a fact-finding panel on the National Anti-Corruption Commission regarding the nominee shareholding case — a matter still stuck in the Speaker's hands. This shows the Speaker using power to block and distort checks-and-balances mechanisms.
Natthaphong added that regarding the joint sitting of Parliament, the party proposed two charter amendment drafts to strengthen oversight mechanisms linked to the people and improve efficiency. The first draft reduces the Speaker's discretionary power to prevent blocking like the NACC oversight petition case. The second allows citizens to petition for removal of independent agencies. Since the parliamentary session opened, the Speaker has not convened a joint sitting to consider these amendments.
He also noted that previously, Thailand's Parliament used joint standing committees with proportional opposition and government representation for international duties. But the Speaker has not convened or appointed anyone, leaving the power solely with the Speaker to handpick MPs for overseas representation.
"Thus, whether in committee work, forwarding petitions to the Supreme Court for a NACC fact-finding panel, or appointing MPs for international duties, there is now an attempt to block, concentrate, and monopolize power in one person," Natthaphong said.
He further said the Speaker rejected a draft bill to annul the October 6, 1976 Revolutionary Council Announcements, supported by over 60,000 public signatures, claiming the people's draft violated Chapter 3 (Rights and Liberties) and Chapter 5 (State Duties) of the Constitution. In fact, the draft aims to erase the legacy of the October 6 event, when Revolutionary Council orders increased penalties for defamation offenses — against individuals, officials, courts, and the monarchy. Previously, the Criminal Code Section 112 carried a maximum 7-year penalty, but the order raised it to 3-15 years with a mandatory minimum of 3 years, stripping courts of discretion to impose fitting sentences. This is what they seek to address.
