As expected, today’s censure debate in the Thai parliament has kicked off with the opposition targeting Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Last week opposition parties revealed their tactics to attack the Bhumjaithai party leader, who brings some 60 votes to the coalition table.
Today they launched straight into their attacks on the mercurial deputy PM who has championed the decriminalisation of cannabis since launching the Bhumjaitahi party’s election strategy before the March 2019 election.
The high profile minister was the first of leading cabinet ministers to be grilled by opposition MPs in today first of four sessions of a no confidence motion targeting Prayut Chan-o-cha and at least 10 ministers.
The opposition have accused Anutin Charnvirakul of “causing social problems and violating local and international laws” by supporting the decriminalising laws in Thailand without proper checks, balances and a legal framework, leaving mass confusion and misinterpretation by the Thai public, and foreigners in Thailand.
The chief opposition whip from the opposition Pheu Thai Party played a video to parliament from Anutin’s election campaign promising that Bhumjaithai would “bring happiness to people by allowing them to grow cannabis.”
“Cannabis would be sold and used to make food and prevent and treat illness, and even be smoked in private.”
At the time cannabis products were still included in the Thai narcotics act as an illegal category-five substance.
The opposition whip accused the Public Health Ministry of decriminalising cannabis on June 9 without any local laws to control its use in place, saying that that was a “violation of international law”.
Thailand’s political pundits have acknowledged that the changes to allow the decriminalisation of cannabis were simply a political ploy to maintain security of Anutin’s parliamentary sway with at least 51 Bhumjaithai MPs, plus another nine since recent defections, and had little to do with updating Thailand’s cannabis laws.
The complete 180 degree turnaround of Thailand’s stance on cannabis regulations has pitted the SE Asian country against all the other ASEAN partners who maintain much more stringent regulations on cannabis, particularly with reference to “recreational” use of the drug.
The opposition also claimed that Thailand’s new cannabis policy also violated Section 66 of the constitution, which required the country to cooperate with international organisations and protect the public interest.
“Cannabis damages the brains of young people… There will be serious social problems.”
He noted that medical, religious and judicial organisations in Thailand had voiced their opposition to the uptake in cannabis use since the decriminalisation. Universities, schools, government and private workplaces and religious institutions have all had to hastily form their own guidelines since the blanket, and rather opaque, decriminalisation announcement on June 9.
The no confidence motion will also target wastes in public funding and mishandling of Thailand’s Covid restrictions under the current government.
The debate will last all this week with the all-important no confidence votes taken on Saturday.
Political pundits say, even despite some recent walk outs and instability in the 17-party coalition, the opposition may not have the numbers on the floor to bring down PM Prayut or any of his ministers.