BANGKOK: Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Thursday (Oct 8) that the government was ready for the opposition’s planned no-confidence motion against 18 ministers, with cabinet members prepared to answer questions and explain their work to the public.
Anutin expressed no objection to the list and no surprise that it named only ministers from the Bhumjaithai Party.
The prime minister had not yet read the allegations in detail, although a briefing had identified those named in the motion.
Including the prime minister’s name effectively made the debate one against the entire cabinet, Anutin said, because the prime minister directs every ministry.
Ministers not named in the motion also needed to be ready if they were mentioned or instructed to provide explanations on his behalf.
Weekly meetings of the party’s cabinet ministers and the party itself kept them informed of developments.
Anutin had reminded all ministers to prepare their explanations and would assign those overseeing and most closely involved in each issue to provide detailed answers.
Anutin said ministers were better placed to explain their portfolios in detail than the prime minister.
Ministers and deputy prime ministers would respond on matters delegated to them, supported by career civil servants preparing information and setting up an operations room.
Preparations involving information and legal teams were routine, and all available information would be used to explain the issues to the public.
The opposition had the constitutional right to submit a motion if it had sufficient votes, Anutin said.
Reporters said the opposition had enough votes without the Klatham Party’s votes and explained that the party had previously withdrawn from the opposition and left its whip group.
The prime minister questioned Klatham’s non-participation and whether the opposition leader could bring the party into the motion.
Reporters relayed Klatham’s explanation that the intention was to debate issues involving heads of government agencies rather than scrutinise performance.
On Klatham’s possible support for the government, Anutin referred to rights under the Constitution and the law, adding that the administration was ready to follow constitutional requirements.
Debate dates would need to accommodate meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), as well as visits involving several foreign leaders.
The prime minister’s secretary-general would coordinate with the House of Representatives to arrange suitable dates, allowing Anutin to attend fully without repeatedly leaving and returning.
The customary three to four days of debate would pose no problem, Anutin said.
Ministers should be as free as possible from other commitments during that period.
Regarding references to third parties, such as someone in Buri Ram, the prime minister pointed to existing legal protections and said anyone taking action needed to study the law carefully.
The prime minister described the debate as a normal democratic process in which both sides performed their roles, remarking that the opposition had hardly anything to do at present and therefore had to submit a motion.
All ministers must take notes of the opposition’s proposals, criticisms and complaints, listen to reasonable points and put them into practice, Anutin said.
The government had been too busy working to publicise its achievements, Anutin said, leaving the opposition continually receiving incorrect information and making statements that did not reflect the facts.
The debate would give both sides an opportunity to present their work.
“I want to stress that we are explaining this to the public, not to anyone else, and not to the opposition,” Anutin said. - The Nation/ANN
