Speaker of the House directs opposition to amend no-confidence motion

Wan Muhamad Noor Matha chaired a meeting with relevant agencies on Tuesday (March 11), to address the opposition leader’s objection to removing former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a non-parliamentarian, from the no-confidence motion.

Natthaphong Ruangpanyawut, leader of the People's Party, stated in the no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister that she had allowed her father to exert influence, persuade, and participate in governing the country.

Arpath Sukhanunth, Secretary-General of the House of Representatives, announced that the Speaker deemed the motion’s reference to an external individual inconsistent with parliamentary rules and the constitution. Therefore, he exercised his discretion to require the opposition to amend the motion by removing Thaksin’s name, in line with past precedents.

A review by the Secretariat of the House found no past instances of a no-confidence motion directly naming an external individual—only references to family members or former parliamentarians—establishing a clear precedent.

However, in 1986, a motion did reference an external entity, a private company. At the time, parliamentary privilege protected such references from legal action. Under the current constitution, however, if an external individual is mentioned in a way that could cause harm, they have the right to take legal action.

Addressing claims that external individuals can later submit clarifications during debates, the Secretary-General clarified that this is a separate matter. While debates allow for responses, the issue at hand is the explicit naming of an external individual in the motion itself. Once published, the named individual has no opportunity to respond, making this case distinct.

For this reason, the Speaker decided not to include the motion in the agenda, as he bears responsibility for its contents. Arpath stated that the Speaker firmly instructed, "If it is not amended, it will not be included."

The Secretariat of the House will formally notify the opposition leader to amend the motion. If the revised motion is resubmitted immediately, it will be in time for the debate on March 24. However, if submitted after March 19, it will not be included in this parliamentary session, which ends on April 10.

Muk Sulaiman, Secretary to the Speaker of the House, urged the opposition to reconsider its stance for the sake of proceeding with the no-confidence debate. He suggested that even without explicitly naming the individual, the public would understand the reference. He encouraged the opposition to focus on substantive issues that benefit the public rather than emphasizing less critical matters. He warned that failing to proceed with the debate would be a missed opportunity.

The Speaker of the House also emphasized the need to maintain order during the debate and prevent disruptions, recalling past instances of chaos that escalated to the point of physically restraining a Speaker from the podium. To avoid such incidents, strict enforcement of rules is necessary.

Meanwhile, Areepen Uttarasin, an advisor to the Speaker, confirmed that the decision was made independently without external influence.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra urged the opposition to prioritize principles over emotions, stating, "What are the principles? What are the rules? If we don’t follow them, then why have them in the first place?"

She further argued that if parliamentary principles allow an external individual to defend themselves, there should be no reason to prohibit it. Conversely, if they are not allowed to respond, then there is no point in forcing the issue.

"Thaksin is merely the father of the 31st Prime Minister. He is not the Prime Minister himself. So why should he take the floor in the debate or hold a press conference to declare his non-involvement?"