By Thai Newsroom Reporters
IN WHAT WAS SEEN AS a surprise retort, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin today (Apr. 3) lambasted the Democrats in the middle of the House chamber, saying they could be merely looking to skip over from the opposition bloc to the Pheu Thai-led coalition government.
In response to former Democrat leader Jurin Laksanavisit’s barrages over the coalition government during the first day of censure debate without a subsequent vote of confidence, the Pheu Thai-backed prime minister expressed doubt that the Democrats would honestly prefer to be attached to the opposition bloc throughout a four-year term of the legislative branch amidst hearsay that the country’s oldest party was desperately looking to join the government.
“The world would be puzzled if your opposition party might be skipping over to join the government overnight,” Srettha put it with a smirk in reference to Jurin and his partisan colleagues whilst responding to allegations launched by the former Democrat leader.
Moments earlier, Jurin had dubbed Srettha “the world-denied” finance minister who, he said, had performed so poorly. The prime minister concurrently performs as finance minister.
Srettha’s comments apparently followed speculation that the Democrats led by party leader Chalermchai Sri-on would decidedly look to depart the Move Forward-led opposition bloc for the Pheu Thai-led government sooner or later since a cabinet reshuffle is more or less anticipated either later this month or next.
Chalermchai had earlier allegedly planned to join the coalition government and leave behind a few former Democrat leaders who would be unlikely to agree to that.
Those ex-Democrat leaders have remained at odds with their current successor known to keep 20-plus Democrat MPs under his control.
They are former prime minister/former House speaker Chuan Leekpai, former Democrat leader/former deputy prime minister Banyat Bantadtan and Jurin.
CAPTION:
Top and Front Page. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. Photos: Matichon
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