Recurring lack of House quorum no excuse for dissolution: Wissanu

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

RECURRING LACK OF A HOUSE quorum will not be an excuse for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to dissolve it, said Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam today (Feb.3).

Wissanu categorically dismissed speculation that Prayut may be prompted to dissolve the House sooner than later in the face of repeated lack of its quorum week in week out during a current run-up to the next general election.

Though lack of a House quorum will likely persist with the number of attendee MPs dwindling until the end of its final session, scheduled for March 1, Prayut will almost certainly not dissolve it anytime soon, Wissanu concluded.

Neither will Prayut dissolve the House only to avoid censure debate without a subsequent vote of confidence scheduled for February 15 and 16, according to the deputy premier in charge of legal affairs.

The Pheu Thai-driven censure motion was apparently designed to see Prayut losing ground at parliament whilst running for elected prime minister under the Ruam Thai Sang Chart banners.

Not only the Election Commission but all parties and individuals would not have enough time to prepare themselves to contest the general election if the House was dissolved on any day of this month, Wissanu said.

Nevertheless, Prayut who is seeking to prolong his rule for two more years is more or less speculated to dissolve the House by March 9 to call a general election in 60 days.

In the meantime, the polling agency is redemarcating constituencies nationwide in compliance with the constitution’s amended organic law pertaining to the election for MPs with contestants’ views and public hearings being taken into account.

The 2023 election will see the total of constituency-based MPs rise from 350 to 400 and that of party-listed MPs will drop from 150 to 100, compared to the 2019 race.

CAPTIONS:

Top: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Photo: Matichon

Front Page: Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam. Photo: Thai Rath

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