Former Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit has called on the opposition People’s Party (PP) to move beyond rhetoric and join Pheu Thai in filing a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul when parliament reconvenes next month.
He said such a move would reveal whether PP’s criticism of the government was sincere or simply political theatre. Mr Prompong said PP had recently stepped up its attacks on the government and its ministers, seemingly to rally support.
“I hope it’s not just talk to please the fan base,” he said. “Let’s see if, when parliament opens next month, PP joins Pheu Thai in immediately submitting a censure motion against Mr Anutin.”
He said PP MPs had previously voted to elect Mr Anutin as prime minister, yet declined to join his coalition government. Despite this, they helped maintain a parliamentary quorum throughout the session.
Mr Prompong added PP had exposed numerous flaws in government policy during debates and likely held enough information to challenge the entire cabinet. “They should press on to the end — file petitions with various agencies, take action that convinces the public that their oversight efforts are real, not just for political ratings or soundbites,” he said.
Commenting on the broader political landscape, Mr Prompong said some analysts believed the Bhumjaithai-led coalition might dissolve the House earlier than the four-month tenure outlined in the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed with PP, which secured the latter’s support for Mr Anutin’s premiership.
Some observers predict the government could dissolve the House before the next parliamentary session begins on Dec 12. If opposition parties submit a no-confidence motion to the House speaker, the government would be barred from dissolving parliament. So, the prime minister would need to act before then if he intends to dissolve the House, Mr Prompong said. Although the government pledged to support PP’s push for charter changes, December will be a critical period due to the third reading of the amendment bill.