Bangkok: Political observer Thepthai Senpong has taken to social media to expose the unethical practices of certain Members of Parliament (MPs) who exploit meeting allowances by signing documents and leaving without fulfilling their duties. In his Facebook post titled "Thepthai - Political Talk," he challenges the current system and calls for a reform of the parliamentary committees.
According to Thai News Agency, Thepthai's critique aligns with comments made by MPs from the People's Party about the inadequate quality and commitment of some MPs serving on the House of Representatives' standing committees. These concerns highlight issues such as MPs occupying multiple committee roles solely to collect meeting allowances, rather than contributing meaningfully.
Thepthai, a former MP, shared insights from his experience, noting that some committee members fail to perform their duties, simply signing in to collect allowances of 1,500 baht per meeting. When serving on multiple committees, allowances can reach 5,000-6,000 baht per day, incentivizing absenteeism and neglect of responsibilities. To address these issues, Thepthai suggests three key reforms.
Firstly, he proposes reducing the number of standing committees from 35 to 20, aligning with the number of government ministries. Secondly, he recommends decreasing the number of members per committee from 15 to 10, which would eliminate the need for MPs to serve on multiple committees. Lastly, he advocates for a rule limiting MPs to serve on only one committee to prevent conflicts in fulfilling duties.
Thepthai emphasizes that these reforms alone are insufficient if MPs lack integrity and commitment. He points out that the quality of current MPs reflects the prevalence of vote-buying, with many constituency MPs allegedly lacking the necessary qualifications.
In conclusion, Thepthai urges citizens to prioritize the election of quality representatives in upcoming elections, as the caliber of elected MPs directly mirrors the electorate's choices.