Opposition claims PM trying to evade probes
PUBLISHED : 23 Nov 2025 at 05:19
Opposition Pheu Thai Party MP Cholnan Srikaew has accused Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul of seeking to dissolve parliament to escape a no-confidence debate, calling the move a political strategy aimed at consolidating power ahead of the next election.
Dr Cholnan on Saturday responded to the PM’s remark that parliament might be dissolved on Dec 12 if Pheu Thai proceeds with a no-confidence motion under Section 151.
He said that although such a move would violate the People’s Party (PP)–Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), BJT stands to lose nothing, and only gain.
A House dissolution, he said, would benefit BJT as the ruling party, giving it access to the budget, governing authority and the power to appoint civil servants in the run-up to the election.
Dr Cholnan added that because BJT controls all mechanisms of government, dissolving the House now would serve as a political tactic to halt work on a constitutional amendment and avoid parliamentary scrutiny.
“Mr Anutin’s actions as head of government are therefore primarily for his own benefit and that of his cronies, not for the benefit of the country and the people,” he said. It comes amid big reshuffles at the Interior Ministry, through which the government can extend its influence over polls even further.
Former Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit on Saturday criticised Mr Anutin’s threat to dissolve parliament on Dec 12 instead of the agreed date of Jan 31 that was originally stated. He asked why a former opposition MP like Mr Anutin — who once scrutinised the previous government under the Pheu Thai-led administration — would now seek to evade scrutiny himself.
“If your ministers have proven track records, are admired by the public, and have no involvement with scammers, gambling websites or mismanagement that could lead to corruption, you have no reason to fear the opposition performing its duty,” he said on Saturday.
He also noted that with the constitutional amendment awaiting its third reading, the People’s Party may not go so far as to vote Mr Anutin out. “Politicians who are confident they are clean should welcome probes. If they can clarify issues in parliament, they may even gain more support in the next poll,” he said on Saturday.
“Even if Mr Anutin leads a minority government, the public expects him to solve problems — scammers, drugs, farm prices, floods,” he said. “Nobody wants to see him try to save himself purely for political gain,” he said on Saturday.