By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE SURPRISE DECISION OF Palang Pracharath Party against contesting next month’s by-election for MP in Ratchaburi has added weight to the probability of the House of Representatives being dissolved and a general election being called much sooner rather than later, said Move Forward MP Natcha Boonchai-insawat today (Apr 25).
The by-election scheduled for May 15 is to find a replacement for Pareena Kraikupt, the ex-Palang Pracharath lawmaker who has been deprived by court of her MP status and banned from politics for life due to the convicted encroachment upon a forest reserve in the western province which was part of Ratchaburi’s Constituency 3 which she represented at parliament.
Despite the fact that the specific constituency covering Bhotharam and Jom Bueng districts used to be on the turf of Palang Pracharath Party, the largest coalition partner has surprisingly decided to not send a candidate to retain it in the by-election, thus indicating the increased probability of the House dissolution which might even preempt a planned no-confidence motion, commented Natcha, who concurrently acts as spokesman of Move Forward Party.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, certainly being a major target for the planned censure debate and subsequent no-confidence vote, is not legally allowed to dissolve the House and call a general election after such a motion has been formally lodged at parliament. The Pheu Thai-led opposition bloc has reportedly planned to lodge the motion shortly after the House reconvenes on May 22.
The hearsay that Prayut might finally choose to dissolve the House only to preclude the censure debate and no-confidence vote has apparently prompted Palang Pracharath Party, led by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, to skip the Ratchaburi by-election and instead get better prepared for the nationwide race to parliament, according to the Move Forward MP.
Nevertheless, Prayut has invariably remained tight-lipped when asked by reporters to comment how soon he may dissolve the House under sustained pressure from his critics inside and outside of parliament. The army chief-turned-premier is known to be strongly resolved against stepping down under any circumstances.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Photo: INN News
Home Page: Move Forward MP Natcha Boonchai-insawat. Photo: Matichon Weekly
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