By Thai Newsroom Reporters
IN WHAT WAS SEEN as a sustained tug-of-war, Pheu Thai leader Julapun Amornvivat said today (Dec.6) he cannot tell exactly on what date a censure motion against Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and any other members of the Bhumjaithai-led cabinet may be filed in the House of Representatives where a regular parliamentary session is scheduled to resume next Friday.
But Julapun downplayed speculation that it would probably be filed as soon as next Friday to preclude a possible phenomenon in which the prime minister might dissolve the House to call a general election at any given time before a censure motion is formally lodged at parliament.
The Pheu Thai leader was apparently responding to the sustained probability of the prime minister dissolving the House to call a general election as soon as the regular parliamentary session reopens next Friday to preempt censure debate which would probably otherwise be filed against him or any members of his cabinet, given the legislative rules which prohibit the head of government from doing so after such a motion has been formally filed at parliament.
Given the current circumstances under which the Pheu Thai is armed with a censure motion and the Bhumjaithai-attached prime minister with a House dissolution, one side is practically looking to outwit the other.
The People’s, currently the largest opposition party, have invariably pushed for constitution amendment beginning with a public referendum for the people nationwide to simultaneously decide whether the coup junta-designed charter should be rewritten and whether a constitution rewriting committee should be consequently set up and demanded that the prime minister not dissolve the House until the charter bill has passed its final reading supposedly with such legislative consequences.
Prior to the regular session is an extraordinary session scheduled for next Wednesday and Thursday to provide for the second reading of legislation to amend the coup junta-designed constitution to be followed after a 15-day interval by its third or final reading at parliament.
Anutin has earlier said he would eventually opt out by returning power to the people by way of a House dissolution rather than offer himself to be relentlessly grilled by the opposition bloc in censure debate which could possibly last three days and nights in a row to be closely followed by votes of confidence and no-confidence.
If the House was dissolved before a final reading of the bill, the time-consuming constitution amendment process would be completely aborted with all legislative efforts having been so far made to no avail.
Given the fact that the Bhumjaithai-led government is merely a minority one with less than 170 MPs on their side, compared to nearly 300 lawmakers in the opposition bloc, Anutin would likely be ousted with an overwhelming majority of no-confidence votes.
The general election could possibly occur as soon as in the upcoming February if the House was dissolved between next Friday and the end of this month to be followed by the nationwide race to parliament within a 60-day period as provided by law.
According to government critics, Anutin who concurrently acts as interior minister and leader of the Bhumjaithai, core of the current coalition government under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob, would undoubtedly prefer to see the general election held prior to the date on which de facto Pheu Thai boss/inmate Thaksin Shinawatra is released on parole from Klong Prem prison where he is currently serving a curtailed, one-year sentence.
The billionaire power player and father of former, court-deposed prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who is expected to be freed on parole in early March, could probably more or less draw pity-generated votes from some constituents including former Red Shirt activists in support of Pheu Thai electoral candidates.
Thaksin’s camp are roughly speculated to come up as a third or fourth largest elected camp in the nationwide election after Newin’s camp, the People’s and probably the Klatham, currently a coalition partner under de facto party boss/Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Agriculture & Cooperatives Minister Thammanat Prompao.
Thaksin’s son-in-law Nattapong Kunakornwong and nephew Yotchanan Wongsawat might probably be named among a trio of Pheu Thai contestants for prime minister whilst Julapun would merely vie in constituency-based mode in his home province of Chiang Mai with the near future of former transport minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit, one of a duo of leaders of Sam Mit Group, a faction inside the Pheu Thai who has been named director of partisan electoral campaigns, would finally be up to anyone’s guess.
Instead of contesting alongside the Pheu Thai candidates, Suriya and former public health minister/Sam Mit Group co-leader Somsak Thepsuthin could possibly lead several MPs under their command in an en masse departure for another camp.
CAPTIONS:
Top – Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul congratulating Julapun Amornvivat upon being appointed Pheu Thai leader at Parliament. Photo – Thai Rath
Insert – De facto Pheu Thai boss/inmate Thaksin Shinawatra. Photo – Amarin TV
Front Page – Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, left, and Pheu Thai leader Julapun Amornvivat, right. Photo – Amarin TV
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