Censure To Target Pm, Boonsong

[Lite Beer]

Censure to target PM, Boonsong

Somroutai Sapsomboon,

Pimnara Pradabwit,

Prapan Jindalert-udomdee

The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- Rice policy to be focus of grilling on November 27-29

The opposition will grill individual Cabinet members in the upcoming censure debate, with the prime minister and her commerce minister being the main targets over the government's controversial rice price-pledging policy, a source from the Democrat Party said yesterday.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom will be high in the opposition's censure motion to be submitted to the House speaker on Wednesday, according to the source, who said they would later discuss other targets.

"We agreed that the debate should focus on issues that are really clear. So we will avoid having too many targeted ministers, which may weaken our attack," the source said.

The opposition's latest move comes ahead of an imminent Cabinet reshuffle in which many ministerial seats are expected to be affected.

In addition to the rice-pledging policy, the opposition will focus on the government's poor management of last year's flood crisis, according to the source, who asked not to be identified.

The source was confident that information about the rice policy to be disclosed by opposition MPs during the no-confidence debate would "really put the government in deep trouble".

Chief opposition whip Jurin Laksanavisit, who is a senior Democrat figure, yesterday said that the opposition onslaught would also cover the rising cost of living and expensive consumer products. He said the list of targeted Cabinet members would have to be adjusted now that many ministers would be removed from office in the imminent Cabinet reshuffle.

The Democrats have decided the censure debate will be called between November 27 and 29, according to the chief opposition whip.

Meanwhile, senior figures in the ruling Pheu Thai Party yesterday tried to contain mounting disappointment among factions in the party, particularly those close to the red-shirt movement, following news that red-shirt leader and Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan would remain excluded from the Cabinet.

Noppadon Pattama, a legal adviser to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is referred to as the "big boss" by Pheu Thai politicians, said that those who fail to get appointed in the upcoming Cabinet shake-up would still have a chance to be included in the Cabinet.

"I would like to send this message to people who miss out on an appointment. Please be reminded that this government still has three years left in office. It will definitely complete its [four-year] term. Normally, every six months, there is a Cabinet reshuffle. So there will be no problem," he said.

He said that in a large political party like Pheu Thai, there will be people who are pleased and those who are upset when there is a Cabinet reshuffle.

Regarding the red-shirt leaders' disappointment with Jatuporn's failure to get appointed, Noppadon said it was understandable. "I have to admit that Jatuporn is efficient and that's why his supporters want him to become a minister. But they should also understand the situation. Jatuporn still has a lot of opportunities," he said.

Worachai Hema, a red-shirt leader and Pheu Thai MP, yesterday warned the prime minister that a person close to her, whose name has the initial S, would destroy the party rather than helping it. "The prime minister may be good in running the country, but she is not good at political matters," he said.

The politician said that the person in question had advised the prime minister not to include Jatuporn in her new Cabinet line-up.

Democrat spokesman Chavanont Intarakomalsut yesterday praised and thanked the PM for not allowing herself to be influenced by Thaksin in her choice of people for the new Cabinet. "The prime minister has been on her own in choosing people to work for the country. To make it even better, she should also get rid of all the weak points. There are still many people in her Cabinet who are not suitable for the ministerial seats," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-10-28

[looping]

Hope they have some solid evidence rather than the usual finger pointing farce.

[rubl]

"I would like to send this message to people who miss out on an appointment. Please be reminded that this government still has three years left in office. It will definitely complete its [four-year] term. Normally, every six months, there is a Cabinet reshuffle. So there will be no problem," he said.

Why is a cabinet reshuffle every six months 'normal'? Just to give bright, well deserving people who are knowledgeble, capable and full of potential, a chance to have a go at playing a 'real' minister and manage a country? To show how much they learned in managing a country in one of the online games?

[asiawatcher]

All this cloak and dagger garbage, people with the name of "s". Give me a break. And three more years of these charlatans? Thailand cannot survive that sort of onslaught. If the Ministers were capable in their posts and doing them right, there would be no need to reshuffle anything. What a farce this whole scenario is.

[Songhua]

Don't worry if you miss out on an appointment. There are three years left. Roll up, roll up - every player wins a prize (some just take longer to get the right numbers when they feed the clown).

Cabinet reshuffles are necessary so frequently in order that nobody EVER has the answers when they get 'targeted'. They can't even get sorted out between themselves - let's hope the AEC doesn't start asking anything too profound!

[h90]

Hope they have some solid evidence rather than the usual finger pointing farce.

I would say it doesn't matter.....it has no consequences and most people don't care.

[SICHONSTEVE]

"I would like to send this message to people who miss out on an appointment. Please be reminded that this government still has three years left in office. It will definitely complete its [four-year] term. Normally, every six months, there is a Cabinet reshuffle. So there will be no problem," he said.

Why is a cabinet reshuffle every six months 'normal'? Just to give bright, well deserving people who are knowledgeble, capable and full of potential, a chance to have a go at playing a 'real' minister and manage a country? To show how much they learned in managing a country in one of the online games?

"Just to give bright, well deserving people who are knowledgeble, capable and full of potential, a chance to have a go at playing a 'real' minister and manage a country?"

What!!! I'm sorry, but there is no one in Pheu Thai's ranks that possesses any one of these attributes - now if you had said, dishonest, corrupt and without morals then they could fill a dozen cabinets and have the others standing outside queuing up to replace them when they get caught out!!.

[somtumlion]

PTP - Best government money can buy!

[MILT]

Carrots dangling on a stick.

[NCFC]

Censure motion waste of time exercise by the Democrats, just to deflect attention away from the inquiry into the May 2010 massacre of civilians.

This government will last the full four year term. It is very popular with Thai voters according to recent polls. The possibility of a new coup recede by the day and that is what most ordinary people want to see.

[SICHONSTEVE]

Censure motion waste of time exercise by the Democrats, just to deflect attention away from the inquiry into the May 2010 massacre of civilians.

This government will last the full four year term. It is very popular with Thai voters according to recent polls. The possibility of a new coup recede by the day and that is what most ordinary people want to see.

Then all I can say is that the people are STUPID and deserve what they get if they want this pseudo government for another 3 years or so!!!

[khunken]

Censure motion waste of time exercise by the Democrats, just to deflect attention away from the inquiry into the May 2010 massacre of civilians.

This government will last the full four year term. It is very popular with Thai voters according to recent polls. The possibility of a new coup recede by the day and that is what most ordinary people want to see.

Maybe it is a waste of time but it's also a part of the democratic process. And it's certainly not a deflection from the lies & denials over the violence in 2010, started by Thaksin & his 'warriors'.

[rubl]

Censure motion waste of time exercise by the Democrats, just to deflect attention away from the inquiry into the May 2010 massacre of civilians.

This government will last the full four year term. It is very popular with Thai voters according to recent polls. The possibility of a new coup recede by the day and that is what most ordinary people want to see.

A censure debate is part of the democratic parliamentary system. In Thailand it's an almost yearly recurring event which puts some viewers asleep and others just enjoy the show. The opposition does this even when they haven't a chance to get the government of the day to step down. While in such a parliamentary session any of the MPs has a bit more freedom to say what they want as well.

A waste of time? Well, if you feel like doing away with democratic checks and balances, 'we have a majority and can do what we want'

Now instead of saying more may I point to the previous discussion on the usefulness of censure debates. A bit more than three weeks ago, but still the old arguments of 'waste of time', 'government popular', 'why bother', 'who needs democracy'

http://www.thaivisa....ck-and-thaksin/

[SICHONSTEVE]

Censure motion waste of time exercise by the Democrats, just to deflect attention away from the inquiry into the May 2010 massacre of civilians.

This government will last the full four year term. It is very popular with Thai voters according to recent polls. The possibility of a new coup recede by the day and that is what most ordinary people want to see.

A censure debate is part of the democratic parliamentary system. In Thailand it's an almost yearly recurring event which puts some viewers asleep and others just enjoy the show. The opposition does this even when they haven't a chance to get the government of the day to step down. While in such a parliamentary session any of the MPs has a bit more freedom to say what they want as well.

A waste of time? Well, if you feel like doing away with democratic checks and balances, 'we have a majority and can do what we want'

Now instead of saying more may I point to the previous discussion on the usefulness of censure debates. A bit more than three weeks ago, but still the old arguments of 'waste of time', 'government popular', 'why bother', 'who needs democracy'

http://www.thaivisa....ck-and-thaksin/

The main purpose of this particular censure debate is to point out the abject and costly failure of this stupid rice pledging scheme and to attempt to get Yingluck to answer the questions to justify the governments policies rather than evade anything to do with parliament and delegate everything to others!!! Basically, she hasn't a clue about what's going on as she is not a politician and the Democrats want to show her up for the fraud that she is!!

[MikeOboe57]

Censure motion waste of time exercise by the Democrats, just to deflect attention away from the inquiry into the May 2010 massacre of civilians.

This government will last the full four year term. It is very popular with Thai voters according to recent polls. The possibility of a new coup recede by the day and that is what most ordinary people want to see.

You're right. Moreover, in the Shinawatras' "too demockacee" any opposition party not displaying lordosis behaviour is willfully jeopardizing the "recosylayshaw".