BANGKOK, 11 December 2013 The Constitutional Court today has accepted a petition filed against the two-trillion-baht loan bill, which was previously approved by Parliament for infrastructure development.
Constitutional Court Spokesman Pimol Thampitakpong said the court agreed to consider petitions submitted separately by several MPs from the opposition Democrat Party and a group of senators, on whether the loan bill is unconstitutional.
Following the approval by the House of Representatives in September, the Senate on November 20 also passed the bill that would allow the Finance Ministry to borrow a 2-trillion-baht fund to invest in infrastructure and transport system development. The bill is expected to help revitalize Thailand’s declining economy.
The Democrat Party and a group of senators accused that the government had hastily ramrodded the bill through Parliament which might cause huge damage on the country in the form of corruption and increase the public debt to a dangerous level.
As a consequence of the court’s decision to accept the petitions, the government’s submission of the bill for His Majesty the King’s endorsement has been delayed.
