The House is expected to delay a debate due today on the draft organic law for the state audit agency, as coalition whips have yet to decide whether to back or veto the legislation.
The organic law, seen as a key way to resolve the row over the position of the auditor-general, has languished in the legislative quagmire in the wake of the 2007 general election. Last year the House of Representatives finally voted for its passage and the Senate subsequently gave its endorsement by a vote of 70-50.
However, the Senate vote fell short of a simple majority - 76 votes. This caused the draft to be sent back to the House for a decision either for a new vote to override the Senate or for the bill to be dropped.
Thanitpol dismissed speculation that MPs were reluctant to enact the bill because of certain provisions empowering the auditor-general to initiate graft litigation and veto a prosecution review done by the Office of the Attorney-General.
"The enhanced mandate of the auditor-general was never a contentious issue, since lawmakers could amend the law if they found the provisions to be cumbersome in the next five to 10 years," he said.
At this juncture, the critical issue related to the draft is about the nomination and appointment of the auditor-general, he said, in reference to bickering between incumbent Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka, who insists on working despite reaching retirement age, and "acting" successor Pisit Leelavachiropas.
The nomination for a new auditor-general had dragged on for more than three years and become critical, he said, because Jaruvan had reached her mandatory retirement age of 65.
To push the nomination forward, the House had two options, he said - override the Senate and enact the bill in a speedy manner, or veto the Senate vote and drop the bill to pave the way for a nomination process under transitional provisions.
The coalition whips could not choose between the two options and are sounding out opinions from coalition parties, he said.
Under the first option, enactment of the bill would take time before coming into force, while the row in the Office of the Auditor-General could get worse. In regard to the second option, legal pundits are uncertain whether transitional provisions for nomination are still applicable.