BUDGET PASSED AFTER ALL-NIGHT SESSION

       Bill for fiscal 2010 approved in vote at 10.30am after three days of debate
       The government's Budget Bill for fiscal 2010 passed the House of Representatives in its final reading yesterday, after more than 40 hours of heated debate over three days.
       The debate on Friday continued all night with voting finally taking place at 10.30am yesterday.
       The Lower House voted 244 to 10 to pass the bill. It covers a budget of Bt1.7 trillion to be spent in the fiscal year starting on October 1. A total of 56 MPs abstained while 13 MPs did not cast any kind of vote.
       Many of the lawmakers and Cabinet members attending the marathon debate were tired.
       Some were spotted napping inside the meeting chamber while others took turns to take short breaks or get some sleep outside the debating room.
       After the bill was passed in its third and final reading, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva thanked MPs and parliamentary staff yesterday for the time and effort spent debating the bill.
       The PM, who attending the all-night debate, said his government would spend the budget efficiently and in a transparent manner.
       The bill will be tabled in the Senate next.
       Asked if he was worried about scrutiny of the bill in the Upper House, Abhisit said he expected to be able to explain certain points to senators if they found any items unclear.
       Some members of the opposition Pheu Thai Party attacked the budget yesterday as inefficient, saying that money spent boosting the economy would become useless.
       They said funding allocated to improve the livelihood of the rural poor, including the community sufficiency economy scheme, was not transparent.
       And they had evidence that some members of the ruling Democrat Party were involved in irregularities.
       Evidence would be sent to the Democrat Party later, the opposition MPs said.
       Following the bill's passage, coalition MPs received a short message that read:
       "Thank you very, very much for the meeting that was just completed. From government whips."
       Government whips sent text messages to update coalition MPs about the progress of the meeting throughout the night.
       Government MPs were reminded that they had to attend the meeting in full force as the coalition only has 18 MPs more than half the total number of members in Lower House - a slim margin to pass bills.