Thammanat sceptical about total of pro-Prayut MPs

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

THAI ECONOMIC MP Thammanat Prompao said today (Mar.1) his brand-new party will definitely not be part of a total of 260 government MPs who may continue to support Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as earlier claimed by the leader of a coalition partner.

Thammanat, speculated to be named secretary-general of Thai Economic Party during next month’s caucus, referred to the 260 MPs whom Deputy Prime Minister/Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul had claimed to remain supportive to Prayut inside and outside of parliament.

Thammanat doubted such a number of pro-Prayut legislators was accurate as verbally claimed by Anutin. “Was it all conjured up in a dream? Anyhow, Thai Economic Party is definitely not among the 260 MPs,” Thammanat commented.

Anutin earlier told Prayut he had calculated the government MPs to total 260 who, he assured, would continue to support the premier, specifically during censure debate and a subsequent no-confidence vote, expected in May or June. 

The Bhumjaithai leader stopped short of saying if those pro-Prayut lawmakers include the 18 Thai Economic MPs headed by Thammanat who were among a group of 21 MPs earlier ousted from Palang Pracharath Party.

Prayut had been apparently concerned over the working unity and stability of the Palang Pracharath-led coalition government, given a dwindling number of their MPs following January’s exodus of Thammanat’s clique from the largest coalition partner. 

Anutin reportedly gave Prayut the assurances that those 260 MPs, numerically enough to help him survive no-confidence motions, will readily support him and strongly advised the premier not dissolve the House and call a general election to avoid the planned censure debate and no-confidence vote. 

Bhumjaithai Party currently has 63 MPs while Palang Pracharath Party, led by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, currently has 115 MPs, plus Democrat Party’s 49 MPs, Chart Thai Pattana Party’s 12 MPs and a number of others from several splinter parties.

The coalition needs a minimum of one half of the total MPs currently accounting for 474 to make a quorum for a House meeting and ensure the embattled Prayut survives a no-confidence motion.

Meanwhile, Thammanat maintained that he and his fellow Thai Economic MPs will invariably perform as “independent” lawmakers with the people’s interests and well-being constantly being put on their top-priority agenda.

Thai Economic Party will practically not jump upon the bandwagon of the Palang Pracharath-led coalition or the Pheu Thai-led opposition bloc while handling legislations, decrees and motions at parliament, he said.

He said his camp will independently consider issues at hand which may terminally interest the people and country rather than take into account the existence of the polarised camps on either side of the parliament chamber’s aisle.

CAPTIONS:

Top: Thai Economic MP Thammanat Prompao. Photo: Matichon Weekly

Home Page: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Photo: Matichon

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