Pheu Thai to file ethical complaint against Anutin and ministers
Pheu Thai plans to file an ethics complaint against Prime Minister Anutin and key ministers before launching a censure motion, timing its move to the charter bill vote.
The Pheu Thai Party on Sunday threatened to file an ethical complaint against Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and several Cabinet members with the Constitutional Court before submitting a no-confidence motion against the government.
Pheu Thai party-list MP Sutin Klungsaeng said the party would wait for the second reading of the charter amendment bill before deciding on the exact date to lodge the censure motion.
The second reading is scheduled for a special joint sitting of Parliament on December 10 and 11, following the first reading in October. The proposed amendments aim to pave the way for drafting a new constitution by establishing a Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA).
Sutin explained that the atmosphere and voting behaviour during the second reading would indicate whether the bill is likely to sail through the third reading or not.
If Pheu Thai assesses that the bill is unlikely to pass the third reading, the party will move quickly to submit a censure motion against the government, he said. But if the party sees a realistic chance of the bill being approved in the final reading, it will wait for its passage first.
Ministers accused of ethical breaches
Regardless of the timing of the no-confidence move, Pheu Thai will file a complaint with the Constitutional Court accusing Anutin and certain Cabinet members of breaching ministerial ethical standards before the censure motion is tabled, Sutin said.
He declined to name the other ministers but said the public could “easily guess” based on their behaviour before and after becoming Cabinet members, as well as their qualifications.
He added that “several” Cabinet members would be targeted over both their actions and their eligibility to hold office.
No-confidence debate to target budget and SEA Games
On the no-confidence debate itself, Sutin said Pheu Thai had “many issues” to raise against the government.
He cited, for example, questions over budget allocation and the government’s failures in organising and preparing to host the SEA Games.
Sutin said all previous governments had vowed to fight censure motions in Parliament, whereas Anutin had instead threatened to dissolve the House to avoid a no-confidence showdown.
Anutin has said he would dissolve the House if the opposition files a censure motion against his government, arguing that his administration is a minority government and that he will not accept being “attacked for free in Parliament”.
“He raised that dissolution threat as if he was proud of it, although it is a shame. Come on, have some pride in yourself,” Sutin said.
Pheu Thai ready to move without People’s Party
Sutin added that Pheu Thai would not be concerned about whether the People’s Party decides to join the censure debate or not.
So far, he said, the People’s Party has not clearly committed itself to joining the no-confidence move, so Pheu Thai will press ahead on its own.
