After intense censure debate over the last three days, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and a group of 10 other cabinet ministers have scraped by and survived a vote of no-confidence, maintaining their positions and avoiding censure again. The opposition had mounted a fierce three-day debate that The Thaiger has been covering each day, but the government leaders have come out unscathed.
Minister of Commerce Jurin Laksanawisit had the least favourable votes, with only 241 votes in his favour and 207 against, with 23 people abstaining from the vote. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon received the most supportive votes of confidence, with 268 in his favour and only 193 voting no-confidence.
Often-maligned Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul had a rousing amount of support with 264 votes in his confidence, the second-most of any minister. Meanwhile the Prime Minister fell in the middle, receiving 206 votes of no-confidence against 256 votes in his favour, with 9 abstensions from voting.
In order to officially receive a vote of no-confidence, a minister would have needed to receive a total of 239 votes against them, amounting to half the total number of members of parliament. Minister of Interior Anupong Paochinda received the highest number of negative votes, but with 212, comfortably avoided the no-confidence label by a margin of 27 votes.
PM Prayut declared after the vote that he had no intentions of shaking up the cabinet as a result of the vote. This censure debate was likely the last one during Prayut’s tenure, as a general election is expected next year, though the PM could call for a by-election before then by dissolving the Parliament.
The full results of the no-confidence vote:
MINISTER CONFIDENCE NO-CONFIDENCE ABSTENSION Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon 268 193 11 Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul 264 205 3 Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob 262 205 5 Prime Minister and Defence Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha 256 206 9 Deputy Finance Minister Santi Promphat 249 204 18 Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn 249 205 18 Deputy Interior Minister Niphon Bunyamanee 246 206 20 Interior Minister Gen Anupong Paojinda 245 212 13 Social Development and Human Security Minister Chuti Krairiksh 244 209 17 Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin 243 208 20 Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit 241 207 23
SOURCE: Bangkok Post