The Democrat Party, Thailand's only opposition party in House, on Wednesday filed a motion of no- confidence against Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and other seven Cabinet ministers in parliament, designing to bring down the six-party coalition government led by Samak's People Power Party (PPP).
The Democrat Party's censure motion, submitted to Deputy House Speaker Somsak Kiartsuranan on Wednesday morning in parliament, aims to prompt government as well as opposition Parliament Members (MPs) to cast no-confidence votes against Samak and the seven other ministers after a marathon censure debate, expected to take place by June 28 or by the end of the current extraordinary House session.
Opposition party spokesman Ong-art Khlampaibul said the seven cabinet portfolio bearers targeted alongside the premier included Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Mingkwan Saengsuwan, Transport Minister Santi Prompat, Deputy Transport Minister Songsak Thongsri, Justice Minister Sompong Amornwiwat, Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama and Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung.
All of seven ministers are members of the ruling PPP.
The Democrats stated their belief that the Samak government is a weak, ineffective and corrupt stand-in for the deposed government of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, the staterun Thai News Agency said.
The opposition charges stated that the Samak cabinet members had vested personal and partisan interests which were inappropriately entangled with those of the country and people, and that Samak had allowed members of his cabinet to run the country in an aimless, random fashion resulting in failed government policies.
Earlier, the House Speaker Chai Chidchob said he is awaiting the request for the censure motion against the coalition government by the Democrat Party and the debate could be held late June.
Stressing that he is acting with neutrality, Chai said that the attacks by members of the Democrat Party that he is siding with the government are not true.
He emphasized that it would take "not more than three days" for House officials to verify the requests for censure motions after the petition is lodged by the chief opposition whip. The motion will then be forwarded to the government after which it can be put on the agenda of the parliament's current extraordinary session.
After the submit on Wednesday, Interior Minister Chalerm said he admires the Democrat Party for fighting through parliamentary channel. He also said he is not worried about the censure debate, adding that it is Samak's decision whether to allow the debate.
(Xinhua News Agency June 18, 2008)
