Sophon Sarum clarified the issue of being accused of acting as a branch of the government and delaying the no-confidence debate, pointing out that the whip suddenly extended questioning time, which hurt credibility and caused difficulties for officials. He said meetings until 3 a.m. are merely formalities and insisted that the key evidence to defeat the government does not depend on the number of hours.
On 29 Oct 2026, Mr. Sophon Sarum, Speaker of Parliament, addressed allegations that the government was trying to stall the no-confidence debate and that the Speaker was biased. He affirmed that the no-confidence debate is the opposition's duty to scrutinize the government and denied ever intending to obstruct or delay as some members claimed, rejecting accusations of being a "branch of the government."
Sophon stated that all procedures followed legal steps. Upon receiving the motion, he checked its accuracy and requested to soften harsh wording before sending it to the Cabinet Secretary to confirm dates when the government was ready to respond. Originally, the Cabinet indicated readiness for 3+1 days (27-30 Oct), but the two whips could not agree. On 22 Oct, the opposition leader and party representatives met him, and he proposed a compromise. The government agreed to adjust to 4+1 days, while the opposition requested to move the debate to another week in November or December.
The Speaker said he asked for a clear agreement framework and they initially settled on 60 hours total: 45 for the opposition, 12 for the government, and 3 for the Speaker, with sessions from 9 a.m. to midnight. The opposition authorized him to coordinate with the Prime Minister, who agreed to start debates on 6 Dec onward.
However, yesterday at a three-party whip meeting, which he did not attend, the agreement was altered to add 12 more hours: 51 for the opposition, 17 for the government, and 4 for the Speaker. Meeting hours for the first three days were extended to 8 a.m. to 3 a.m., and the fourth day from 8 a.m. until before midnight. He questioned how they could suddenly add 12 hours after an agreement had been reached.
"This sudden change damages my credibility and should not have happened, since I had already negotiated the original framework with the administration. Although I am ready to perform my duties as Speaker according to the agreement, I disagree with the whip system's back-and-forth," Sophon said.
Sophon added that holding debates from 8 a.m. to 3 a.m. forces officials to stay overnight without rest, unlike MPs who can go home after speaking. He believes debates should occur during regular working hours to ease officials’ burdens and whips’ challenges in maintaining full attendance. He called late-night debates mere formalities that do not improve oversight. Effectiveness depends on strong evidence, not debate length. MPs should consider that for productive work, time must be used efficiently. No other country holds parliamentary sessions like this, which strains many support staff, including parliamentary police.
"I do not agree with this way of working. Although the three-party whips negotiated this, I can still perform my role without trouble, but I want society to know I disagree with such methods. I support evidence-based scrutiny. Accusations and insults are different matters. As Speaker, I must ensure orderly meetings and carefully decide what constitutes an accusation versus an insult. I will not allow anyone to use this honorable forum to make baseless accusations or insults," he said.
Sophon continued that the no-confidence debate will definitely happen. For the public to benefit, the content must be substantive. Words used just to satisfy supporters or fan bases are unnecessary nowadays. He understands many parties and organizations use social media, including AI, and as Speaker he must keep up. Today, anything is possible, but for sustainability, truth must be upheld.