By Thai Newsroom Reporters
PRIME MINISTER ANUTIN Charnvirakul could possibly become Thailand’s first head of government to be deposed by way of no-confidence votes as an aftermath of censure debate if he failed to circumvent such unbecoming phenomena via a preemptive House dissolution.
Given the fact that the current Bhumjaithai-led government is a minority one with only about 160 out of a total 494 MPs on their side, the prime minister-cum-interior minister who concurrently performs as leader of the core of the current coalition government could possibly be outvoted in no-confidence mode cast by a majority of MPs attached to the People’s-led opposition bloc and be consequently deprived of his elected premiership, according to Thammasat University law lecturer Prinya Thaewanarumitkul.
The coalition government currently secures solid support from 69 Bhumjaithai MPs influenced by de facto party boss Newin Chidchob plus a number of others attached to coalition partners including 26 Klatham MPs steered by de facto party boss Thammanat Prompao, 19 MPs of the Palang Pracharath and 33 renegade MPs of the Ruam Thai Sang Chart headed by Suchart Chomklin and Ekanat Prompan. That compared to 300-plus MPs of the opposition bloc including 143 People’s MPs and 141 Pheu Thai MPs, among others.
A censure motion against the prime minister or any of his cabinet members could possibly be lodged by the opposition bloc to which the Pheu Thai are currently attached at any given time in December when the legislative branch is scheduled to reconvene after a recess at the end of this month.
Given the constitutional rules, the prime minister’s power to dissolve the House to call a general election in a 60-day period will be immediately denied by law after a censure motion has been formally filed.
The Bhumjaithai-led coalition is a practically fragile and vulnerable because they are a minority government and if the prime minister ever allowed censure debate to occur and be followed by votes of confidence, he would certainly be bound to bear it with the subsequent likelihood of himself setting a precedent in Thai political history as the first head of government to be deprived of his top executive status in no-confidence mode, the Thammasat academic remarked.
Nevertheless, Anutin is largely expected to dissolve the House sooner than earlier anticipated or by early December and not as late as in late January so that the general election will be held as soon as in the upcoming February.
The prime minister who had earlier pledged to dissolve the House and return power to the people by way of a general election to be held in a four-month time after he has efficiently addressed the country’s major issues such as Thai-Cambodian border conflict and economic problems as well as set groundworks for a comprehensive rewriting of the coup junta-designed constitution will finally have no choice other than to avoid a potential grilling session on the House floor and keep his credibility and reputation intact, Prinya commented.
All previous heads of government had either dissolved the House to evade censure motions or managed to survive such hostile attempts made by opposition parties. In Thai political history, none had ever been deposed of premiership, either elected or not, in no-confidence mode at parliament.
CAPTIONS:
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Top photo – Thai Rath, Front Page photo – Amarin TV
Insert: Thammasat University law lecturer Prinya Thaewanarumitkul. Photo – Thai Rath
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