Loaded salvos hit PM on first day of censure

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday responded to persistent claims her administration is run by her brother, the former PM Thaksin, saying: “There is only one Thai Cabinet and it’s led by me.” 

As for remarks from opposition MPs that she was “stupid”, Yingluck said: “People who work with me know what I am.” This is the first time that she has responded to this accusation. 

The censure debate against Yingluck and Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan kicked off yesterday with a barrage of allegations from Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva over alleged mismanagement and abuse of power. 

Abhisit claimed the level of corruption under the Yingluck government had more than doubled – and the problem meant the country lost as much as Bt235 billion per year. 

He said huge level of graft had become a crisis of faith and that people had no choice but to take their grievances to the streets.

Abhisit came up with a long list of measures he said were dubious, namely the rice-pledging scheme, the Bt350-billion water-management scheme, Bt2-trillion loan bill for infrastructure and government moves to “destroy the checks and balances” by failing to set up median prices. He also slammed the government for trying to push through the controversial blanket amnesty bill. 

Abhisit condemned the Yingluck government for its show of defiance against the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the charter amendment draft seeking to have a fully elected Senate. 

“If we do not do anything now, the country will go to chaos and eventually end up being a failed state.” 

He also alleged that assets Yingluck declared upon taking office were in conflict with what she had told a court earlier. 

When testifying in her brother’s Bt46-billion asset seizure case, Yingluck said she had had her niece purchase a Bt2.5 million watch for her. However, in her asset declaration, she only reported nine watches worth a total of Bt1.8 million, he said. 

She also failed to present to court evidence of her assets and spending, he said. 

“I cannot trust the PM. She should make a decision on the behalf of the Thai public once the censure debate is over. People have no time for this government,” he said. 

In response, Yingluck thanked House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont for providing details of the opposition’s allegations, and then went on to say that questions about her competence, leadership and blaming her for interfering with the legislature were not fair. 

“I affirm that the government respects the three branches of sovereign power,” she said. 

She also refused to comment on the seizure of Bt46-billion worth of assets from Thaksin, saying that the court’s ruling on that was final. “In the assets declaration case, the court ruling was final and the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions had already ordered seizure of the assets. The court had listened to the defence, it cannot be said if it was true or false, and doing so [saying it was true] would be useless because [according to] the country’s [accepted] rules, the court’s ruling is final,” she said. 

She said the blanket amnesty bill did not indicate any return of seized assets and the Senate had rejected the bill anyway.

Democrat MP Chinnaworn Boonyakiat also took to the floor yesterday to allege that Yingluck failed to keep election promises such as lowering the cost of living. He also attacked her for nepotism and failing to take responsibility by attending House meetings. 

Yingluck responded by saying all appointments had been made according to regulations.