By Thai Newsroom Reporters
PRIME MINISTER ANUTIN Charnvirakul might probably be pressed to dissolve the House of Representatives to call a general election by early December and might not wait until late January to do so as earlier anticipated.
The prime minister may eventually decide to circumvent censure debate which might otherwise be launched by the opposition bloc against himself or any of his cabinet members by dissolving the House on any date before the legislative branch reconvenes its next session scheduled to begin on Dec.12 following a six-week recess at the end of this month, given the constitutional rules that prohibit the head of the executive branch from doing so after such a grilling motion has been formally lodged at parliament, according to Thammasat University law lecturer Prinya Thaewanarumitkul.
Anutin who concurrently performs as interior minister and leader of the Bhumjaithai, core of the current coalition government, could effortlessly opt out by dissolving the House sooner than expected otherwise he himself or any of his cabinet members would probably be relentlessly grilled by the Pheu Thai or People’s during censure debate which may consume as long as three days in a row at the cost of their credibility and reputations in the eye of constituents nationwide, Prinya remarked.
Without the probability of the opposition camps looking to lambaste the Bhumjaithai-led government on the House floor, the prime minister would not dissolve the House and call a general election until the latter part of January as he has earlier pledged to do so in a four-month time from this month after he has finished with the country’s significant, yet-unresolved issues including economic slumps, Thai-Cambodian border conflict and set groundworks for comprehensive amendment to the coup junta-designed constitution.
In the face of potential opposition moves toward censure debate, the prime minister might probably dissolve the House around early December so that the election would be held as soon as some time in February and not a month later as earlier anticipated, the academic said.
A general election is legally bound to take place within a 60-day time after a House dissolution with all current lawmakers being given the individual liberty to switch parties regardless of any relevant partisan resolutions and to register themselves for membership of their new camps within a 30-day period prior to the election date.
“Apparently holding grudges against the Bhumjaithai-led government, the opposition Pheu Thai MPs might probably file a censure motion to be followed by votes of confidence and no-confidence against the prime minister and/or other cabinet members as soon as the next House session opens in the second week of December.
“Once the motion is formally lodged, the prime minister and all cabinet members will be legally obliged to face it and get through it. He will be by no means legally empowered to avoid it after that,” the Thammasat academic pointed out.
The Pheu Thai rank and file under de facto party boss Thaksin Shinawatra who is currently literally put behind bars to serve a curtailed, one-year term in prison turned out to be a certain clique of politicians with deeply-trenched intent to take revenge on the Bhumjaithai under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob following last month’s phenomenon in which the latter had managed to set up a new coalition government after the former’s daughter/former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra had been deposed by the Constitutional Court on charges of violating the politicians’ code of ethics and doing without evident honesty pertaining to her disreputable, erroneous handling of Thai-Cambodian conflict, thus allegedly tantamount to an act of treason at the cost of Thailand’s territorial integrity, interests and prestige.
Anutin had won votes of support from an overwhelming majority of MPs including those of the People’s, the largest opposition camp who had categorically refused to jump onto the Bhumjaithai-led bandwagon, largely defeating Chaikasem Nitisiri, the last Pheu Thai contender for prime minister.
The next election has been so far forecast to see the Bhumjaithai and People’s sweep most of a total 400 constituency-based MP seats plus a number of a total 100 party-listed MP seats, leaving Thaksin’s camp and the Klatham under de facto party boss/Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Agriculture & Cooperatives Minister Thammanat Prompao scrambling against each other to come out as the third-largest party.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page: Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Both photos – Amarin TV
Insert: Thammasat University law lecturer Prinya Thaewanarumitkul. Photo – Thai Rath
Also read:
Madam Pang tipped to be named Democrat secretary-general
Thaksin to teach English in prison instead of ‘overseeing’ sewer conduits clearance
Pheu Thai to have slim chance of heading future govt: NIDA academic
Thammanat dared to testify before House panel on notorious wheeler-dealer Ben Smith
4 Israeli soldiers nabbed with drugs at party celebrating ceasefire
Heroin laced with fentanyl passing through Thailand: ONCB
Ghostly sounds won’t put Thailand at a disadvantage on world stage: PM
