By Thai Newsroom Reporters
PRIME MINISTER ANUTIN Charnvirakul was today (Oct.28) advised against dissolving the House of Representatives only to avoid censure debate on the Cambodia-based scammer issue, among other hot topics besieging the Bhumjaithai-led, minority government.
People’s spokesperson/MP Parit Watcharasindhu encouraged the prime minister-cum-interior minister to not dissolve the House to call a general election probably by early December with possible intent to preempt a censure motion which could possibly be lodged by the Pheu Thai, now part of the opposition bloc, pertaining to the coalition government’s plans and measures against transnational scammer crimes based in Cambodia and preying on Thai and world victims.
Currently being core of the opposition bloc, the People’s will not only see to it that a public referendum as to whether the coup junta-designed constitution should be rewritten will be conducted alongside the general election but continue to closely monitor the minority government running the country, according to the People’s spokesperson.
Parit was apparently responding to sustained speculation that the prime minister might probably be so much pressed by persistent calls from members of the public and government critics to combat the Cambodia-based scammer networks that he might eventually opt out by dissolving the House to call the nationwide election instead of striving to do so any longer.
Nevertheless, Anutin has so far remained noncommittal as to whether he might not dissolve the House until the end of January as earlier anticipated or might probably do so barely a couple of months sooner for whatever reason.
Given the fact that the Bhumjaithai-led government is a minority one with only an estimated 168 MPs on their side, compared to nearly 300 opposition lawmakers from the People’s and Pheu Thai plus others from splinter camps, the prime minister could possibly be effortlessly, immediately deposed of power with overwhelming no-confidence votes following marathon censure debate in the House, thus denying him the legitimate opportunity to consequently dissolve it.
Anutin who concurrently acts as leader of the Bhumjaithai, core of the current coalition government under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob, had earlier reached an informal agreement with the People’s in exchange for the latter’s MPs casting yea votes for the naming of Anutin for head of the Bhumjaithai-led government without joining them to the extent that the sought-after constitution amendment issue be substantially carried out with the relevant public referendum pertaining to the highly contentious charter for which a constitution drafting committee may be set up.
The nationwide referendum is supposed to be literally held alongside the general election, given different ballots for eligible voters to tick on when they go to the polls on the same day.
The prime minister is by no means legally empowered to dissolve the House to call a general election after a censure motion with subsequent votes of confidence and no-confidence has been formally filed by an opposition party with endorsement of a minimum of one-fifth of all performing MPs, currently accounting for 99, thus rendering the probability of his doing so on any given day prior to such grilling moves.
Given the current parliamentary session which is scheduled to end in the next few days for a six-week recess and to be resumed on Dec.12, Anutin could possibly dissolve the House around the first week of that month so the general election could consequently occur by the early part of February. A House dissolution is legally supposed to be followed by a nationwide race for a total of 500 MP seats, 400 in constituency-based mode and 100 in party-listed mode, within a 60-day period.
CAPTIONS:
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Top photo – Amarin TV, Front Page photo – Thai Rath
Insert: People’s MP Parit Watcharasindhu. Photo – Thai Rath
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