By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THAILAND’S DEMOCRATIC RULE might possibly be disrupted again by a military coup which would be viewed as “the only solution” for the powers-that-be, said Pheu Thai Party leader Chonlanan Srikaew today (Jan. 26).
Chonlanan told reporters at parliament that democratic rule might possibly come to an end due to a coup which, he said, would be considered by the powerful military as “the only solution” to rescue Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha from a looming political crisis besieging the current coalition government supported by a meagre majority of MPs.
Such a coup by the pro-Prayut military might possibly take place as long as the army chief-turned-premier would decide against resigning or dissolving the House of Representatives to return the power to the people via a general election, following a recent ouster of Thammanat Prompow and 20 MPs under his command from Palang Pracharath Party, the largest coalition partner in government, according to the Pheu Thai leader.
Prayut has risen to power by himself staging the 2014 coup to overthrow an elected government under the then-premier Yingluck Shinawatra. Prayut was then army chief who headed a military junta in the bloodless coup.
Thammanat’s clique of MPs who are given a 30-day time from Jan. 20 to find a new party and join for membership as provided by law might probably choose to no longer support the Prayut regime, according to Chonlanan who concurrently acts as opposition leader at parliament.
Chonlanan commented that Prayut would neither step down nor dissolve the House as insisted by his critics, given his being the type of person who may break but never bend and would finally agree to the staging of a coup to overthrow his own government and solve the political impasse as he just did nearly eight years ago.
But Deputy Prime Minister/Palang Pracharath Party Prawit Wongsuwan contended that Thammanat and his followers will finally continue to support the Prayut government and that the Palang Pracharath-led coalition will still have enough votes in support of government legislations and decrees.
Thammanat who was ousted as Palang Pracharath Party secretary-general and those MPs under his command are widely speculated to join Thai Economic Party reportedly headed by Wit Thephasadin na Ayudhya, a close associate of the Palang Pracharath leader and former head of the ruling party’s strategic campaign team.
Meanwhile, Chonlanan cautioned that House meetings might probably be adjourned weekly due to a repeated lack of a House quorum since the Thammanat-led group of MPs could potentially become a decisive factor in the House.
The government MPs are primarily obliged to attend House meetings to make a quorum specifically during deliberations on government legislations and decrees which, he said, largely depend on their mutual solidarity with or without the attendance of the opposition MPs.
The House currently has 474 MPs among whom a quorum of 238 MPs accounting for more than half the total of MPs is required to warrant a House meeting.
Major government legislations to pass House approval in the foreseeable future include the constitution’s organic laws on a general election for MPs and political parties as well as a controversial bill to find additional loans for the government to address the country’s economic woes.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha who as army chief mounted a coup on May, 22, 2014. Photo: Getty Images and published by BBC
Home Page: Soldiers guarding the Democracy Monument during the May 2014 coup. Photo: Matichon
Also read: Thammanat’s clique of MPs will continue to support govt: Prawit
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No cabinet reshuffle or House dissolution anytime soon: Prayut
Thammanat, 20 MPs ousted from Palang Pracharath Party
Thammanat to either get a Cabinet seat or be ousted from party alongside 20 other MPs
Democrat Party set to sue Palang Pracharath MP over ‘outbuying votes’ accusation
Southern by-election rerun possible if ‘orange card’ handed out: Ex-election chief
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