PM ’ready’ for grilling on censure test

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Monday reiterated her readiness to field questions in the no-confidence debate next week, insisting she would provide facts and figures to counter the opposition censure offensive.

The no-confidence motion, filed last week, targets the prime minister in particular, claiming she has failed to show leadership and let her father, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, work behind the scenes.

Asked whether she had taken any special measures, she said her plan was to answer the opposition’s questions with facts and figures, and only added that she had been briefed on the format of the debate, which was her first since taking office six months ago. Ms Paetongtarn also responded to the opposition’s accusations that she lacked leadership. She said she preferred to let the public decide that for themselves.

In order to condemn someone for being unleadery, you first need to be a leader yourself. I’m going to do my best, to be ready to try to present information to the people. And I will.

But she promised to reflect on the results of all opinion polls to enable her to better perform the government’s work after the latest result of Nida Poll showing the majority of people are just not satisfied with the way she acts as prime minister or the government operates.

The no-confidence debate was also an opportunity to help the public understand her better, being the country’s first “Generation-Y” prime minister, Ms Paetongtarn added.

She said that she hadn’t seen Thaksin recently and that her father hadn’t talked to her about his meeting with the prime minister’s advisory team last week. The team updated her on both the US affairs and the global economic situation discussed at the meeting.

PM’s Office Minister Chousak Sirinil warned on Monday that the opposition could incur protests during the censure debate if it raises issues related to other ministers whose actions are not covered in the motion, which specifically targets only the premier. Mr. Teeraj had said that Ms. Paetongtarn as the government leader, but each ministry has its own minister who makes decisions, and is responsible for reporting work to the cabinet.

Wisut Chainarun, list-MP of the Pheu Thai Party and chief government whip, argued that a single day would be enough to accommodate both the debate and the subsequent censure vote.

He was also confident that all coalition partners would back the prime minister following the Democrat Party and Kla Dharma Party saying they would on Monday.