'Censure move also likely to hit PM, Thaksin'
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No confidence motion accuses justice minister of mishandling flood controls and relief
The censure debate against Justice Minister Pracha Promnok next Sunday is likely to be used by the opposition to launch attacks against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her brother Thaksin, a senior coalition figure said yesterday, as Pracha maintained that he was not worried.
Paijit Sriworakhan, a senior MP from the ruling Pheu Thai Party, said he was convinced that opposition lawmakers, particularly those from the Democrat Party, would during the debate “make a free kick” against Yingluck and Thaksin.
“This is going to be like a censure debate against the prime minister.
“It’s just that Pracha will be the person who gets shot at, and not the prime minister. So we have to help him,” said Paijit, who is one of the coalition whips.
He also said that four or five Pheu Thai MPs would be assigned to act as “bodyguards” for Pracha during the no-confidence debate, citing yesterday’s resolution by the coalition whips.
Those lawmakers would protest and respond to any move by opposition MPs that was viewed as irrelevant to the debate, according to Paijit.
The Democrats last week filed the no-confidence motion against Pracha, saying that he failed in flood-control efforts and condoned irregularities regarding distribution of relief supplies.
Pracha heads the government’s Flood Relief Operation Centre.
Paijit said yesterday that he had no concern about the censure debate, adding that he was convinced Pracha would be able to respond to the opposition allegations.
However, Paijit was worried that because of his “unfamiliarity” with politics, Pracha – who just entered the political arena after his retirement as national police chief a decade ago – might be provoked by opposition politicians during the debate.
He said the opposition was unlikely to attack Pracha on the amnesty issue as it was clear that Thaksin would not benefit from the royal pardon for inmates to be given this year.
Meanwhile, Pracha said yesterday that he was not worried about the censure debate against him, adding that “the truth is always the truth”.
Pracha insisted he had nothing to do with any irregularity about the procurement of government relief supplies distributed to flood victims.
He challenged his detractors to seek his impeachment if they were sure about their accusation. However, he added that he reserved his right to sue them for defamation.
According to Pracha, he has ordered the Department of Special Investigation to probe the graft allegations involving government relief supplies.
House Speaker Somsak Kiartsuranond has scheduled the censure debate to start at 9.30am on Sunday.
The debate will last one day and the post-debate vote is scheduled for 10am on Monday, which is the last day of the current parliamentary session, according to a memo issued by the House of Representatives Secretariat yesterday.
The censure motion states that Pracha was involved in irregularities and condoned corruption, violated the Constitution and other laws, was inefficient in performing his tasks, in addition to lacking in ethical values and the rule of law, resulting in some groups of people making personal gains at the cost of the country and the majority of the population.
