Thai PM easily survives no-confidence vote amid street protests

BANGKOK, November 28, 2013 (AFP) - Thailand's embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Thursday easily survived a parliamentary no-confidence vote against her, the house speaker said, as raucous protests continued on Bangkok's streets.

"Prime Minister Yingluck won the vote of confidence," said Somsak Kiatsuranont, with 297 lawmakers voting in her favour and 134 against.

The vote, which pivoted on a slew of allegations of corruption, comes amid ongoing mass street protests in Bangkok by opposition protesters seeking to topple Yingluck's elected government.

Demonstrators have paralysed government ministries in Bangkok to challenge Yingluck and the self-exiled Thaksin, in the biggest street protests since mass rallies in 2010 that turned deadly.

Protesters accuse Yingluck and her government of acting as a stooge to her brother, the billionaire tycoon-turned-politician who is adored by many of the country's rural and urban working class. But he is reviled by many in the elite and the middle classes.

The opposition Democrat Party brought the no-confidence motion alleging Yingluck and her government had overseen widespread corruption, including in a controversial rice subsidy scheme which is seen to have benefitted the rural heartlands of her Puea Thai party.

On Wednesday, protesters entered a major government complex in the northern outskirts of the capital and also forced staff to leave the Justice Department's besieged Department of Special Investigations.

Outside Bangkok, protesters gathered at about 25 provincial halls mainly in the opposition's southern heartlands -- including on the tourist island of Phuket.

While the demos have so far been largely peaceful, there are fears they could degenerate into another bout of street violence in a country that has seen several episodes of political unrest since Thaksin was toppled in a 2006 coup.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-11-28

Right, time for plan F.....

This one will work for sure

Did anyone expect that she wouldn't?

Yingluck survives no-confidence vote with 297 votes of support

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra Thursday comfortably survived the no-confidence vote with 297 coalition MPs voting in her support.

A total of 134 opposition MPs voted against her while five MPs abstained.

The vote was held at 9:56 am.


-- The Nation 2013-11-28

I think I heard my neighbour cheering. He runs an European luxury car import business. Would seem that some of his customers have just received a windfall from Montenegro. He'd better hope it isn't a case of "the cheque's in the post"!

Dopey Dems.....they had their chance and couldn't get the job done.....

Names and acurate figures of the corruption may have made some difference.....but it's not the "polite" way.....

I don't think they have a plan B!

Totally EXPECTED, BUT, what was revealed in the house was the truths came out and the public were hearing what many were not allowed to hear before. this no con/vote on TV live spoke to the international community things that they unaware of before. It will be on websites, the feedback from UNIVERSITY to rural families will be interesting.

If the P.M. smiles at the result it will be a big mistake, the N/C/Vote opened up another can of worms. I noticed the P.M. went missing for periods during questions.

Well done Yingluck now get governing the country and clear this whistle blowing rabble of numbties out of your capital city the elected parliament has given you its answer to your leadership.

hoorah...good for her

I think I posted this question last week already in another thread.

How do you impeach a PM who has the majority in parliament ?

Let's hope the anti-government protesters don't give up until mission accomplished.

I think I posted this question last week already in another thread.

How do you impeach a PM who has the majority in parliament ?

Let's hope the anti-government protesters don't give up until mission accomplished.

isn't this part of the problem? Filling your cabinet with people that were not voted in as part of the scheme?

Of course she's going to "win" the vote, that's what they are getting paid for.

Can the country now get back down to it now the Dems have failed miserably yet again?

The vote is a mandate to get those idiots out of government buildings and prosecute as necessary.

The worms in the various cans can be discussed/addressed when whatever passes for normality in Thai politics returns.

Not hard when your brother owns and finances the party.

Well done Yingluck now get governing the country and clear this whistle blowing rabble of numbties out of your capital city the elected parliament has given you its answer to your leadership.

Well done Yingluck ??? what did she do ???? this was NOT about Getting enough to out her on a vote--the only answer you got was from her own party.---it was about exposing what is going on -re government corruption etc.

This N/C/Vote was to expose NOT to vote her out----that was a known fact .

"Prime Minister Yingluck won the vote of confidence," said Somsak Kiatsuranont, with 297 lawmakers voting in her favour and 134 against.

This is exactly why 50% of the MPs should be "selected".

Else, like now, there is no cheque and (bank) balance.

Yingluck, Charupong survive censure vote
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan Thursday comfortably survived a no-confidence vote.

The vote was held at 9:56 am after two days of showdown between the Democrat and Pheu Thai MPs.

Yingluck Shinawatra received 297 votes of confidence from coalition MPs while 134 opposition MPs voted against her. Five other MPs abstained.

Charupong won 296 votes of support while 135 MPs gave him a no-confidence vote and four MPs abstained.

Charupong gave a broad smile after flashed thumb-up sign to fellow Cabinet members after he learned the results.


-- The Nation 2013-11-28

They had the majority for the vote so it was always doubtful, but I wonder how many voted against it because of the current lawlessness of the occupation-movement, formerly peaceful massprotest movement. I don't think it was a deciding factor but I'm certain that some people sided with Yingluck just because the protests have turned anarchic.

In any case, her failings are encyclopedic and she has to face the music on a lot of issues. The best we can hope for is that the antigovt crowds return to peaceful massprotest without the incendiary rhetoric and the occupation of sites. And for Yingluck's opponents in the political sphere to keep the pressure on her, and demand she attends Parliament and defends her deeply flawed decisions of the past years. Her surviving no-confidence vote is meaningless, she does not command respect in the nation she is charged with overseeing.

Seriously? After all the useless pathetic answers she gave, she still passes the vote?

Dopey Dems.....they had their chance and couldn't get the job done.....

Names and acurate figures of the corruption may have made some difference.....but it's not the "polite" way.....

I don't think they have a plan B!

What different would it have made?

Seriously? After all the useless pathetic answers she gave, she still passes the vote?

All the sheep, with something to gain voted for her.

Believe me as in all countries -government-even your friends when YOUR funds dry up so do most of your friends.

You see the friends that you thought you had, were not really in the first place.

I want to give you an example-In all the top hotels in London you have a clientele of mega rich people, they are CLANS these clans frequent a different hotel. in one of the clans on (un-named) VIP went bust, within a week the word got round so was not welcome in the clan any more. Do you get my drift ?????

These party members are of the same type. they are greedy to say the least, and most have not got a clue how to run their departments.

Hence the mess we are in.

Dopey Dems.....they had their chance and couldn't get the job done.....

Names and acurate figures of the corruption may have made some difference.....but it's not the "polite" way.....

I don't think they have a plan B!

Thank you for showing the whole forum just how ignorant you really are.

They were never going to win the vote, the Dems even said that. The entire corruption machine that everyone is protesting against was always going to keep Thaksin's puppet from harm.

Even with the most galring evidence in the world PTP were always going to vote in Thaksin's favour because it is Thaksin who put them in government. The smaller coalition members just follow the crowd as they are nothing really.

This just demonstrates that democracy does not work in Thailand.

The PTP had the chance to redeem themselves and vote against Thaksin, and this would have done a lot towards stopping the protests and allowing them to finish their term. But now..... They ALL have to go.

PTP just blew their last chance.

The people won't like this one bit and this is not going to go down well on the street with tensions at breaking point.

No plan B required. The machine is already in motion and you and you red god can do nothing to stop it.

Suthep is RIGHT...... The system needs a complete overhaul.... Now come on protesters...... time to finish the job.

They had the majority for the vote so it was always doubtful, but I wonder how many voted against it because of the current lawlessness of the occupation-movement, formerly peaceful massprotest movement. I don't think it was a deciding factor but I'm certain that some people sided with Yingluck just because the protests have turned anarchic.

In any case, her failings are encyclopedic and she has to face the music on a lot of issues. The best we can hope for is that the antigovt crowds return to peaceful massprotest without the incendiary rhetoric and the occupation of sites. And for Yingluck's opponents in the political sphere to keep the pressure on her, and demand she attends Parliament and defends her deeply flawed decisions of the past years. Her surviving no-confidence vote is meaningless, she does not command respect in the nation she is charged with overseeing.

I doubt Suthep's tactics had any effect on vote, MPs voted according to party lines.

Regards your second paragraph, I don't see what's wrong with Suthep's tactic really. It just happens that in this case I don't support the protest. But if I did think they were justified in bringing the government down, peaceful occupation of govt buildings is a step I'd definitely support. Of course, if it's to remain completely peaceful, it tends to mean when police do decide to act, you're out. If not, there's an ethical dilemma over how much force is acceptable when resisting police etc. But anyway, point is, you can have 500,000 people in a park and it'll have zero effect. The cameras show up for a bit but then they get bored because there's no violence or much else of interest because generally, once you've heard one speech, you've heard them all. That sort of thing is easily absorbed by the system & ignored. It's generally the case that protests need to be disruptive to be effective.

I want to give you an example-In all the top hotels in London you have a clientele of mega rich people, they are CLANS these clans frequent a different hotel. in one of the clans on (un-named) VIP went bust, within a week the word got round so was not welcome in the clan any more. Do you get my drift ?????

No, not at all... What are you waffling on about ?

I think I posted this question last week already in another thread.

How do you impeach a PM who has the majority in parliament ?

Let's hope the anti-government protesters don't give up until mission accomplished.

I am trying but I can't think of a case where a democracy has been overthrown by a dictatorship willingly. Can you? Suthep wants to appoint leaders and Yingluck wants to elect them. I can see a problem there.

This wasn't losing the war. It wasn't even losing a battle.

The mission was successful - the dems wanted the PTP dirty underwear in full view of the public and they got it.

They wanted to show the complete lack of governance - and they got it

Now it's time for the 2.2 Trillion bill to get kicked out

Then the anti-corruption court

No surprises there, Yingluck and co were always going to win with a parliamentary majority. But the Dems have achieved their objectives, they didn't want her impeached but they did want her corrupt practices and inept leadership publicised for all to see. Yinglucks reputation has been sullied both nationally and internationally not that she was ever held in high esteem and she has been shown to be morally bankrupt. Now with this evidence out in the open its up to the judiciary to decide whether further investigation is warranted and if there is any criminal charges they have to answer.

Seriously? After all the useless pathetic answers she gave, she still passes the vote?

why not? The MPs are who vote for her are from PTP and would would for a concrete pole if ordered to do so.

Thailand or in the West, the same.

Dopey Dems.....they had their chance and couldn't get the job done.....

Names and acurate figures of the corruption may have made some difference.....but it's not the "polite" way.....

I don't think they have a plan B!

Thank you for showing the whole forum just how ignorant you really are.

They were never going to win the vote, the Dems even said that. The entire corruption machine that everyone is protesting against was always going to keep Thaksin's puppet from harm.

Even with the most galring evidence in the world PTP were always going to vote in Thaksin's favour because it is Thaksin who put them in government. The smaller coalition members just follow the crowd as they are nothing really.

This just demonstrates that democracy does not work in Thailand.

The PTP had the chance to redeem themselves and vote against Thaksin, and this would have done a lot towards stopping the protests and allowing them to finish their term. But now..... They ALL have to go.

PTP just blew their last chance.

The people won't like this one bit and this is not going to go down well on the street with tensions at breaking point.

No plan B required. The machine is already in motion and you and you red god can do nothing to stop it.

Suthep is RIGHT...... The system needs a complete overhaul.... Now come on protesters...... time to finish the job.

You are so full of yourself. Who are you to decide who or what is ignorant?

Why does Suthep proclaim he wants free and fair elections (no vote-buying) and yet he does not want senators to be elected?

I want to give you an example-In all the top hotels in London you have a clientele of mega rich people, they are CLANS these clans frequent a different hotel. in one of the clans on (un-named) VIP went bust, within a week the word got round so was not welcome in the clan any more. Do you get my drift ?????

No, not at all... What are you waffling on about ?

Stop TRYING to be clever with your post. If you read the first part of my post you WOULD understand--when your in a click and you follow the rules you will stay in the click---

What are you Waffling on about if you cannot get the gist of my post.???? picking out half of the post -trying to show other posters that is all I posted. NOT TRUE

After brownie points are we, get your head on straight and understand. I am not the best writer BUT do make or try to make valid points, unlike you nit picking.

Dopey Dems.....they had their chance and couldn't get the job done.....

Names and acurate figures of the corruption may have made some difference.....but it's not the "polite" way.....

I don't think they have a plan B!

What different would it have made?

No difference at all....the vote was always going to go the PT way.

But...it may have enlightened those that are blind believers, that all is not good among their beloved party....then again...probably not...som nom na ~~