The Democrat Party may not endorse the re-election bids of MPs who do not attend the budget debate, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban warned yesterday, demanding the Democrats turn out in full force for today's House session.
Suthep reaffirmed his prediction the Budget Bill would be approved by the coalition vote. He played down concern that some coalition MPs from the Puea Pandin Party might oppose the spending plans.
Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat said his Bhum Jai Thai Party would fully support the 2011 Budget.
Speculation about a coalition rift over the CNG bus leasing issue was false because the project was still intact pending a review, Boonjong said, voicing confidence the prime minister would give his approval once it had been scrutinised further within a few months.
"The project is sound and beneficial to the people because it is the only way to salvage the Bangkok bus service, which is running at a loss of Bt7 million per day," he said.
Boonjong said fellow MPs from Bhum Jai Thai were well disciplined and would vote along the party line, dismissing threats of dissident votes.
The opposition whips held a meeting to finalise preparations for today's debate on the budgetary allocations.
Opposition chief whip Witthaya Buranasiri said he was concerned about spending related to the government's stimulus package.
Of the Bt346 billion earmarked for the package, the actual spending accounted for 7.6 per cent of allocated funds and reimbursement took place in a suspicious manner due to a lack of financial records, Witthaya said.
He claimed the government appeared to have condoned suspicious military spending, including funds earmarked for the Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation, which were reimbursed without proper auditing.
The opposition would not approve passage of the Budget Bill unless the government clarified those outlays, he said.
Pheu Thai MPs particularly wanted to hear Interior Min-ister Chaovarat Chanweerakul explain the "lopsided" allocation of funds for local government, he said, referring to allegations of spending plans designed to influence the election outcome.
Some 80 Pheu Thai MPs have reserved slots to speak from the floor during the three-day debate before casting a final vote on the Budget.