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Prime Minister Prayut survives no-confidence motion in lower house
As the ruling coalition led by Prayut's Palang Pracharath Party fended off criticism about its mishandling of economic problems and the COVID-19 pandemic, he received 256 confidence votes versus 206 negative ones amid his apparent bid to secure a controversial third term.
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Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha speaks to media members at the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand June 6, 2019. (Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha)
A
no-confidence motion against Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and 10 ministers was voted down Saturday in the House of Representatives, keeping his administration alive amid the opposition's intensified campaign against the government.
As the ruling coalition led by Prayut's Palang Pracharath Party fended off criticism about its mishandling of economic problems and the COVID-19 pandemic, he received 256 confidence votes versus 206 negative ones amid his apparent bid to secure a controversial third term.
The motion, submitted by the opposition bloc in June, condemned the 11 ministers also for failing to prevent corruption and abusing power by allocating budgets to strongholds of the coalition parties.
The issues the opposition parties took up during four days of debates on the censure motion that started Tuesday were similar to those Prayut had been criticized over in a previous no-confidence motion against him and other five ministers in September 2021, which was voted down by the ruling coalition.
Both motions were submitted by opposition groups including the largest Pheu Thai Party, which consists of supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Although Prayut survived the motion again, Pheu Thai is expected to make another move by filing a petition to the Constitutional Court to rule on an argument made by Prayut's aides that he can continue to be a premier for over eight consecutive years.
The Constitution of Thailand stipulates a prime minister cannot stay in power over eight years or two terms.
Prayut, a former army general who led a military coup in May 2014, assumed the premiership of the military government in August that year. While his second term would end in May next year, Prayut's aides have argued that he can stay in the country's top post even after then as his term started technically in July 2019 under the 2017 supreme law, which would enable him to serve in his effective third term.
It remains unclear whether Prayut can retain his grip on power even if the court rules in his favor as Pheu Thai is gearing up efforts to win the next general election to be held in the first half of 2023.
The ruling coalition consists of 18 parties holding 253 of 477 seats in the House of Representatives.
