Yingluck, Charupong sail through no-confidence vote

Yingluck received 297 votes of confidence and 134 against, with two abstentions. Five members did not vote. Meanwhile, Charupong received 296 votes of confidence and 135 against, with four abstentions. Four members did not vote.

Charupong smiled and waved a thumbs up to his fellow Cabinet members.

Many Pheu Thai MPs on Wednesday stayed overnight at Parliament amid fears that anti-government protesters would rally and block them from coming for the vote. Meanwhile, the censure debate on Wednesday night concluded at 11.30pm.

Earlier, opposition chief whip Jurin Laksanawisit of the Democrat Party wrapped up the debate, saying Yingluck should have been more responsible as the head of the government. He said she had failed to keep the promises made during the 2011 election campaign and kept herself at a distance as if it was not her responsibility to solve the problems.

He said the Yingluck administration had failed to tell people the truth. For example, the high-speed train project would not be from Bangkok to Nong Khai as claimed by the prime minister, but using the money to be allocated from the Bt2-trillion loan bill, the project would only reach Nakhon Ratchasima.

Jurin said he believed there are currently three Thai premiers – one controlling from outside, the second in the position but avoiding problems, and a third one taking the benefits.

Regarding her sense of responsibility to Parliament, he said Yingluck had come to answer only two out of 125 queries posed to her, adding Yingluck had failed to vote on important laws, including the annual budget bill.

He said Yingluck had abused her power for her and her family’s interests, including pushing the blanket amnesty bill. He also accused the government of abusing state mechanisms like the Department of Special Investigation to attack the Democrats.

In her defence, Yingluck said she had performed her job responsibly, and it was impossible for a head of government to shirk work. She said she let experts do their jobs according to the laws and procedures, but she was the one who made decisions. 

She also said she has an anti-corruption policy and welcomed scrutiny.