Election Commission rejects Cabinet’s request for 10.1 billion baht central budget

The Election Commission (EC) has rejected the Cabinet’s request for a 10.1 billion baht central budget to help ease the burden of electricity costs for the public. The Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Wissanu Krea-ngam, stated that the documents have been resubmitted to the EC, along with a Cabinet resolution outlining the reasons for the budget as requested by the EC.

The rejection came after the EC raised concerns about the legality of the central budget request. Dr. Wissanu clarified that the minor issues arose due to a lack of prior consultation on whether the central budget request should be submitted to the EC before or after receiving Cabinet’s approval.

However, Dr. Wissanu emphasized that the process should not be complicated and should take no more than one week, as the EC holds meetings on a weekly basis. He also stated that even if EC members are traveling abroad, it should not affect the process as they rotate travel schedules.

According to Dr. Wissanu, if the Cabinet does not request EC approval, the central budget cannot be used. This is in accordance with Article 169, which prohibits the appointment or transfer of government officials, undertaking commitments to the next government, or using the central budget unless it has been approved by the EC and is only for urgent and necessary allocations.

The Cabinet’s proposal for the central budget was aimed at easing the financial burden of electricity costs for the public, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed budget was intended to provide relief to households struggling to pay their electricity bills and to support businesses affected by the pandemic.

The rejection of the central budget request is likely to be a setback for the government’s efforts to support the public during these challenging times. However, with the resubmission of the documents to the EC, there is still hope that the proposal will be approved in the near future, providing much-needed relief to those affected by the high electricity costs.