ID :
123951
Mon, 05/24/2010 - 19:47
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http://m.oananews.org//node/123951
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Opposition moves to impeach, censure prime minister and 4 ministers
BANGKOK, May 24 (TNA) - Thailand's opposition Puea Thai Party on Monday submitted two separate motions to the Senate and House speakers, respectively, seeking to impeach Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and three cabinet ministers, and to censure the prime minister and five cabinet ministers.
The first motion seeks to remove the prime minister, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, Minister of Interior Chavarat Charnvirakul and Minister of Transport Sopon Zarum for alleged malfeasance and abuse of power in handling the anti-government Red Shirt protest in Bangkok which left at least 88 people dead in clashes between demonstrators and security forces over the past two months.
Opposition chief whip Withaya Buranasiri submitted the motion, backed by 159 opposition members of parliament, to Mr Prasopsuk at 11.55am.
The second motion, signed by 184 Puea Thai MPs, was lodged with House Speaker Chai Chidchob in the afternoon, not only seeking a censure debate against Mr Abhisit, Mr Suthep, Mr Chavarat and Mr Sopon but also against Minister of Finance Korn Chatikavanij and Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasit Piromya under Article 159 of the Constitution.
Mr Korn and Mr Kasit were not included on the impeachment list, but only in the censure debate because of insufficient evidence, Mr Witthaya said, adding that the two would be grilled only for their mishandling of policy.
Mr Witthaya said the government should allow the censure debate to proceed prior to the deliberation of the 2011 Budget Bill and noted that the government is pushing the budget bill early than usual.
The opposition chief whip also urged the government to pay more attention to victims affected by the riot. The censure debate would be the opposition's opportunity to point out how the government mishandled their policy.
He said that the opposition did not target overthrowing the government nor trying to persuade the coalition parties to withdraw their support to the government, but they want to present the truth to the public.
Meanwhile, Mr Chai said his office would take seven days to examine the motion and then would asked the government to fix a date for a debate which could be held during the extraordinary parliamentary session which is set for the budget debate, if it is agreed by the government.
The extraordinary session can be extended to accommodate the censure debate in a move similar to that made during the Samak Sundaravej
government, he said.
Parliament recessed on May 21 but an extraordinary session is set from May 24 through 27 for deliberation of the 2011 Budget Bill. (TNA)
The first motion seeks to remove the prime minister, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, Minister of Interior Chavarat Charnvirakul and Minister of Transport Sopon Zarum for alleged malfeasance and abuse of power in handling the anti-government Red Shirt protest in Bangkok which left at least 88 people dead in clashes between demonstrators and security forces over the past two months.
Opposition chief whip Withaya Buranasiri submitted the motion, backed by 159 opposition members of parliament, to Mr Prasopsuk at 11.55am.
The second motion, signed by 184 Puea Thai MPs, was lodged with House Speaker Chai Chidchob in the afternoon, not only seeking a censure debate against Mr Abhisit, Mr Suthep, Mr Chavarat and Mr Sopon but also against Minister of Finance Korn Chatikavanij and Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasit Piromya under Article 159 of the Constitution.
Mr Korn and Mr Kasit were not included on the impeachment list, but only in the censure debate because of insufficient evidence, Mr Witthaya said, adding that the two would be grilled only for their mishandling of policy.
Mr Witthaya said the government should allow the censure debate to proceed prior to the deliberation of the 2011 Budget Bill and noted that the government is pushing the budget bill early than usual.
The opposition chief whip also urged the government to pay more attention to victims affected by the riot. The censure debate would be the opposition's opportunity to point out how the government mishandled their policy.
He said that the opposition did not target overthrowing the government nor trying to persuade the coalition parties to withdraw their support to the government, but they want to present the truth to the public.
Meanwhile, Mr Chai said his office would take seven days to examine the motion and then would asked the government to fix a date for a debate which could be held during the extraordinary parliamentary session which is set for the budget debate, if it is agreed by the government.
The extraordinary session can be extended to accommodate the censure debate in a move similar to that made during the Samak Sundaravej
government, he said.
Parliament recessed on May 21 but an extraordinary session is set from May 24 through 27 for deliberation of the 2011 Budget Bill. (TNA)
