Puea Thai fails to halt budget debate

       House Speaker Chai Chidchob has refused to accept an application by Puea Thai Party lawmakers to delay the deliberation of the annual budget bill proposed by the government.
       Puea Thai MP for Chaiyaphum Charoen Chankomol yesterday asked the speaker to postpone debate on the budget bill because a special House committee did not present details of changes it had made, in which the 2010 budget was to be cut by 22 billion baht to 1.7 trillion baht.
       Mr Charoen said the House could not scrutinise the changes without the details.
       He also questioned the transparency of the changes which the committee had made.
       But the speaker argued that a report on the changes might not be necessary because the special House committee was made up of MPs from both government and opposition parties.
       Yesterday the Puea Thai Party also threatened to seek a Constitution Court ruling on the constitutionality of holding the debate.
       MP Surapong Towijakchaikul said the committee's failure to present details of its changes could be in violation of Article 167 of the constitution.
       Mr Surapong said the opposition would seek a ruling from the court.
       Two days have been set aside for the 2010 budget bill debate, which started yesterday.
       The vote on the bill was set for today but delays have forced the vote to be postponed until next week.
       Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said he was sure the government would have the bill passed.He brushed aside reports that six ministers from the coalition Bhumjaithai Party would abstain from voting.
       The ministers claim they feared their votes could be ruled unconstitutional because they might have a conflict o f interest.
       Mr Suthep said even if they did not vote, the government would still have enough votes to have the bill passed.