Thai PM Prayuth faces another no-confidence vote

BANGKOK: Thai opposition parties today began a censure debate against Prime Minister Prayuth Chan o-cha and five cabinet ministers over accusation of government's poor handling of the COVID-19 outbreak in the kingdom.

It is the third no-confidence debate against Prayuth's government since he took office in July 2019.

Prayuth, who is also the Defence Minister, is expected to survive a no-confidence vote scheduled for Saturday with the backing of the governing coalition.

The other cabinet ministers are Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob, Agriculture Minister Chalermchai Sri-on, Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin and Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwat Thanakamanusorn.

TNA reported that opposition parties will have 40 hours and coalition parties will have 18 hours and 30 minutes, including 14 hours for cabinet ministers.

Opposition leader Sompong Amornvivat accused Prayuth-led government of failing to contain the pandemic as well as the economic losses faced following the lack of management.

He also said the prime minister and five other ministers mismanaged the country's slow vaccination drive, as well as procuring only certain COVID-19 vaccines.

Despite the censure debate, the anti-government protesters threatened to intensify their protests.

Two activists announced that they will hold daily protests in Bangkok starting September 2, from 4pm to 8pm, repeating their demand for Prayuth to step down. Besides that, protesters threatened to hold a nationwide rally.

In recent weeks, anti-government protesters returned to the streets and clashed with police who disperse the crowds with tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon.

Since mid-July last year, the youth-led anti-government groups have been rallying in Bangkok, reiterating their demand for political change, including for Prayuth to step down, the dissolution of Parliament, rewriting of the Constitution, and monarchical reforms.

-- BERNAMA