The opposition Pheu Thai Party criticised the current administration as a “transitional government” designed to help Bhumjaithai secure power on the first day of the policy statement debate on Monday.
Pheu Thai MP for Nan, Cholnan Srikaew, expressed doubts that the Bhumjaithai-led government could deliver its policies before the upcoming election, because many cabinet ministers lacked capabilities.
The former Pheu Thai leader claimed that they are more likely to spend the next four months in office trying to secure their grip on power.
Dr Cholnan blasted the appointment of these ministers as “window dressing” saying they were mainly tasked with boosting the party’s popularity, in an effort to influence the outcome of the election that is scheduled to take place sometime in March next year.
He also warned of possible attempts to sabotage the Election Commission’s (EC) investigation into the alleged vote fixing in the Senate election, which targets many individuals with connections with the Bhumjaithai Party.
The Pheu Thai MP also predicted that the next polls would be driven by the “power of money”, undermining the nation’s parliamentary democracy system.
He also called the People’s Party (PP) decision to trade its mandate to form a government for charter amendments and an early House dissolution “a waste” as he claimed Bhumjaithai would not honour the agreement.
“The proposal to amend Section 256 of the charter [which would pave the way for the establishment of the charter drafting assembly (CDA)] won’t pass the first reading or the final reading.
“Even if a new charter gets written, the process will be entirely steered by the ‘blue-affiliated’ constitutional drafters. All mechanisms are in place for this,” he said, referring to the colour of the Bhumjaithai Party.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul defended the government, saying the government’s policies are achievable because he knows how to execute them.
He insisted that all cabinet members have both the expertise and experience in national administration before promising to ensure transparency and accountability.
“This government will lay the foundation for good governance and bright democracy. At least no one can pull strings behind this prime minister, and decisions will be made in consultation with cabinet members and members of parliament to protect public interests,” Mr Anutin said.
Responding to claims that the government’s policies do not correspond to people’s demands, he said his administration had different opinions about the casino-entertainment complex and digital wallet schemes.
The Bhumjathai Party’s exit from the Pheu Thai-led government was in part due to differences in opinions on these issues, he added.