BANGKOK (AP) – Thai Prime Minister survived a no-confidence vote in parliament on Saturday amid allegations that his government mismanaged the economy, caused the supply of COVID-19 vaccines, abused human rights and encourage corruption. Nine other ministers also survived the vote.
It marked the second test of distrust faced by the government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha since taking office in July 2019, after the contested elections after Prayuth took power in a 2014 coup as head of the army. In February last year, he and five cabinet ministers easily won a vote of no confidence in the lower house.
In the most recent motion, Prayuth’s government has also been criticized for misusing its power to promote police officers and to set up a cyber unit to attack government critics on social media, among other complaints.
But a more serious statement was that Prayuth deepened divisions in society, using the monarchy as a shield against criticism of his government.
A student-led protest movement has campaigned since last year for Prayuth and his government to resign. They want the amendment of the Constitution to make it more democratic and the reform of the monarchy to make it more responsible.
“Prayuth’s biggest fault is that he does not understand the principles of the constitutional monarchy,” said Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Opposition Party.
“He used the monarchy to protect himself whenever he was criticized or opposed. This is an evil action, which makes him no longer qualified to be prime minister, “he said.
His accusation concerns the application of Article 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese majeste law. Prayuth said in June last year that King Maha Vajiralongkorn had expressed a desire for the government not to use the law against defaming the monarchy to pursue pro-democracy protesters.
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, a popular politician who was forced out of parliament last year, was charged last month with major injury for claiming that the government’s purchase of COVID-19 vaccines was late and inadequate and that there was a possible favoritism in awarding major contracts.
Criticism refers to the monarchy, as most of the vaccines ordered by Thailand will be produced by Siam Bioscience, a private Thai company owned by the king.
The monarchy is widely regarded as an untouchable basis of Thai nationalism.
The lese majeste law allows anyone to file a complaint with the police, with convictions that have sentenced them to up to 15 years in prison for the crime. According to Thai human rights lawyers, at least 59 people, including several minors, were summoned by law between November and February.
Four well-known protesters – including human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa, student leader Parit Chiwarak and political activists Somyos Prueksakasemsuk and Patiwat Saraiyaem – have been prosecuted under the law and on charges of sedition earlier this month. Their lawyer asked for bail, but the court rejected it.
Prayuth said that the debate in parliament is “a good opportunity for both sides to do something together for our country and for the people. And I’m ready to clarify every statement. ”
Of the 487 MPs, 277 are part of the ruling coalition and 210 are in opposition. The motion of censure would have required the adoption of a simple majority or 244 votes. Prayuth received 272 votes, with 206 votes in favor and three remained silent.
On Saturday night, about 1,000 protesters held a rally in front of the gate of the parliament building, where speakers in turn denounced the results of the vote, saying they were hosting their own version of the censorship debate. Some participants had signs criticizing the government and the monarchy.
“We knew the outcome of the vote, but we are not upset because at least the opposition parties had a chance to expose the government’s wrongdoings so that the whole country knows the truth,” said 68-year-old Jaruwan Bungasaree. -old protester.
“They spoke out against corruption and did a good job,” she added.
Police said earlier that they would deploy more than 10,000 officers to Bangkok over the weekend to control the crowds and maintain law and order. Police vehicles, including water cannon trucks, were dispatched near the parliament building.
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Associated Press writer Bill Bredesen contributed to the report.