House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranon has downplayed a suggestion by the parliamentary committee monitoring the construction of the new parliament complex that it should be built in Saraburi instead of Bangkok's Kiakkai area.
Empty land in the Kiakkai area of the capital that is expected to be a part of thenewparliament complex.Suggestions have been floated recently to relocate the site of thenew complex to Saraburi. CHANATKATANYU
"The reasons given for the change, concerning the site's susceptibility to floods, and a delay in the process of handing over the site to parliament are insufficient," Mr Somsak said yesterday.
The committee led by Charoen Chankomol, a deputy House speaker, planned to propose to Mr Somsak that he consider choosing a plot of state land in Saraburi as the site of the new parliament over the land in the Kiakkai area.
The panel cited security, flooding, and a delay in the land expropriation process in Kiakkai as key reasons to back their suggestion.
Mr Somsak responded yesterday by saying it was not so easy to change the site to Saraburi.
"To make such a change requires a very special reason," Mr Somsak said.
Delays in the expropriation process could be enough to prompt parliament to consider relocating the complex.
"If we cannot complete construction in two years, then we should consider relocation," he said.
Mr Somsak said parliament would then be asked to consider choosing a new site.
However, Mr Somsak said he believed the land expropriation could be completed by the end of this year.
Democrat Party list MP Chamni Sakdiset said he was concerned about Mr Charoen's suggestion to relocate to Saraburi. He said it could confuse the public.
Parliament should concentrate on building the complex on the Kiakkai site selected earlier, Mr Chamni said.
