Students who skip class get marks deducted. Workers who don't show up see their wages cut. Shouldn't irresponsible MPs who miss House sessions face action too?"
That was the question on the lips of many Thais voters after news of the latest House session collapse broke last week. Once again, the session was brought to an early end by the lack of a quorum due to absent MPs. It is worth mentioning that Thursday's events are far from unprecedented, being the third time in a week, and sixth since the House resumed in November. The House generally only meets twice a week, with a break for the festive period, so to cannibalise what already seems like an overused slogan, low turnouts are now a new normal for our elected parliament. Since being sworn in after the 2019 election, both coalition and opposition parties have brazenly neglected to attend 16 important sessions in adequate numbers and caused delays to the scrutiny of key laws and problems in society that need political leadership to solve.
When their elected legislators fail to show up for work, voters suffer. In the latest abandoned session alone, two draft laws -- one to increase the old-age pension to 3,000 baht and another aimed at breaking up the monopolies that stifle competition in the alcohol industry, as well as discussion of the results from an environmental impact study into concrete seawall barriers that need removing due to the worsening coastal erosion they cause, were delayed.
The public might even be sympathetic if the absentee MPs had justifiable reasons for their no-shows, ie, being caught up in unforeseen accidents, attending court meetings, or having serious health or family-related issues.
However, the sad truth is that as well complacency, many of the empty sessions have been to advance MPs' personal goals or the result of coordinated campaigns by those powerful colleagues they are in thrall to. It was reported last week that about 20 MPs -- former Palang Pracharath Party members belonging to the faction controlled by Captain Thamanat Prompow -- played truant to make a public show of their defiance to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's authority.
Equally dispiriting are comments said to have been made by members of the opposition bloc led by the Pheu Thai Party that they too would be happy to act as spoilers by staying away from sessions if there ever comes a time when such action could hasten the resignation of the PM and dissolution of the House to force the general election they crave.
It is the responsibility of House Speaker Chuan Leekpai to make MPs toe the line, attend these sessions and fulfil their duties as elected representatives of the people.
The longer collective absenteeism is allowed to taint to the integrity of Thailand's political system, the more entrenched the false notion that such deplorable practices are a justifiable means to an end becomes. And that's the kind of behaviour that trickles down into all echelons of society. If our leaders can break the rules to get what they want, why shouldn't those who voted for them adopt similar tactics for their own "noble" causes?
Calls are mounting from critics and the public for the House speaker to launch an investigation and summon MPs and political parties to formally explain why so many well-paid representatives of the people are failing to perform their first and most basic duty -- attendance.
Democracies don't die because of the ill intentions of the few. But they do fall into irreparable decline when apathy outweighs integrity among those who should know better.
