Puea Thai seeks court ruling on Budget Act

       The Puea Thai Party has asked the Constitution Court to rule if the 2010 Budget Act is unconstitutional.
       The party alleged the government had changed its spending plans without giving any details.
       Puea Thai MP for Chiang Mai Surapong Towijakchaikul yesterday filed the request with Chavana Traimas, the secretary-general to the Office of the Constitution Court.
       Mr Surapong claimed the government changed the spending plans without providing any details after the House committee scrutinising the budget bill had finished its second and third readings of the bill.
       His party asked the court to rule if the changes violated Article 167 of the constitution. The article requires details of all spending plans.
       Mr Chavana said the Office of the Constitution Court would consider if the request deserved deliberation by the court and then report its comments to the court.
       The timing of the trial would depend on the judges, he said.
       Parliament President Chai Chidchob yesterday said the Budget Act was con-stitutional because spending plans were changed in line with proper procedures and the House had voted for the act.
       Puea Thai's move was a political ploy and the party should stop it, he said.The Budget Act would be forwarded to the Senate for consideration and later promulgated.
       Mr Chai denied passage of the Budget Act would lead to a House dissolution.
       Recently, the parliament president said the House might be dissolved after the passage of the budget bill. But yesterday he said he had spoken only from the point of view of the opposition.