Prompong Nopparit, once the articulate spokesman for Pheu Thai, is gearing up to shake the political landscape once more. Tomorrow, he will petition the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to thoroughly investigate Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) leader Prawit Wongsuwon’s conspicuous string of absences from parliamentary sessions. Adding fuel to the fire, just yesterday, he lodged a similar complaint with House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, urging an ethics probe into Gen Prawit’s conduct.
Prompong emphasized that his calls for these investigations are pure of intent and devoid of any bias or a desire to smear Gen Prawit. “It’s not about casting aspersions,” Prompong explained, “but Gen Prawit’s persistent no-shows are making it glaringly evident that he’s falling short in his duties as a Member of Parliament. Taxpayers fund his salary, yet he’s MIA during critical meetings.”
Driven by a sense of civic responsibility, Prompong said he’s exercising his right to defend public interests by challenging Gen Prawit’s performance. His petitions to both the House ethics committee and the NACC ask whether Gen Prawit’s frequent absences align with the constitution and House rules and whether he’s adhering to the oath he swore before stepping into office.
This isn’t merely conjecture; Prompong has receipts—or rather, records. Citing data from the Secretariat of the House of Representatives, he highlighted that since July 3 of last year, Gen Prawit put in an appearance at just 11 meetings. The rest of the time? He managed to crank out one instance of sick leave but a staggering 83 personal leave requests, racking up a grand total of 84 absences over 95 meeting days.
“It’s almost as if he’s perfected the art of the dodging act,” said Prompong, adding that Gen Prawit’s tactics of leveraging leave as an excuse are nothing short of a blatant violation of constitutional provisions. These provisions clearly state that MPs must not exceed being absent from more than one-fourth of the session days.
Parliamentary rules are clear: MPs are obligated to prioritize their attendance at meetings, barring extreme cases like illness or unavoidable emergencies. Yet, Prompong pointed out, on the days Gen Prawit was marked present, there were numerous instances where fellow MPs noticed his conspicuous absence.
“It’s a curious case of the vanishing MP,” quipped Prompong, summing up the bewilderment of many. His fervent hope is that a thorough investigation will peel back the layers of this mystery and ensure that those entrusted with public responsibilities are held accountable.
It’s about time someone called out these blatant absences. How can Gen Prawit even justify being absent for 84 out of 95 days?
Totally! Taxpayers’ money is being wasted on someone who can’t even bother to show up. This is an abuse of public trust.
But we also need to consider whether there’s a valid reason for his absences. Could be health issues we’re not aware of.
Health issues? He only took one sick leave! All the rest were personal leave. That’s just irresponsible.
Exactly, Lee. If it was health-related, there would be more sick leaves instead of personal leaves. It’s just an excuse to dodge responsibilities.
Prompong seems too eager to score political points. This might be more about tarnishing Gen Prawit’s image than actual concern for public duty.
Funny how people always assume ulterior motives. Maybe Prompong genuinely wants accountability.
Prompong has every right to demand accountability. If Gen Prawit can’t fulfill his duties, he should step down.
Sure, accountability is important. But why now? What took Prompong so long to speak up? Timing seems suspicious.
Better late than never, right? Plus, it takes courage to go against powerful figures like Gen Prawit.
This is a classic case of smoke and mirrors. Prompong wants to distract from his own party’s failures.
Interesting take, but that doesn’t negate the fact that Gen Prawit’s attendance record is abysmal.
True, but focusing on Prawit’s deficiencies doesn’t fix the bigger issue of systemic corruption.
Very true. Still, we have to start somewhere, and accountability should be consistent, no matter who’s in power.
At least Prompong is doing something. Most people just complain and do nothing about it.
Prompong is using his platform effectively. Calling for transparency and accountability is crucial in politics.
If Gen Prawit can’t commit, then resign. The public deserves dedicated MPs, not part-timers.
I appreciate Prompong’s efforts, but will the NACC actually do something about Gen Prawit’s attendance record?
NACC investigations often take forever and end up nowhere. Don’t get your hopes up.
Sadly, that’s true. But it’s better to try than do nothing at all.
Why aren’t there more MPs like Prompong willing to call out misconduct? This silence is enabling these behaviors.
What type of MP misses that many days? It’s embarrassing and plainly unethical for the people he represents.
Prompong’s actions resonate with voters who are tired of empty promises and laziness in government.
Prompong is not a saint either. This move might just be the start of his next political campaign.
It’s our right as citizens to demand more from our leaders. Prompong is advocating for all of us.
I wonder if Prompong will maintain this energy when his own party members mess up.
Good point. If he’s truly about accountability, he must apply the same standards to everyone, including his allies.
Exactly. Consistency is key. Otherwise, it’s just political grandstanding.
It’s funny how all these issues only come to light when it’s politically convenient. Where were these complaints years ago?
Gen Prawit’s attendance issues have been known for a while. It shouldn’t take Prompong’s complaints to make this an issue.
Absence from duty is a basic failure. There should be strict repercussions for MPs who can’t fulfill their roles.
I believe Prompong’s actions can inspire other MPs to step up and do better. We need more accountability.
People are quick to judge Gen Prawit, but let’s see what the investigation uncovers. Maybe there’s more than meets the eye.
Wouldn’t hurt to be a bit skeptical. But so far, the evidence looks pretty damning against Gen Prawit.
Accountability is more than just removing an MP. We need systemic changes to prevent this from happening again.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. These investigations need to expand beyond just Gen Prawit.