Chalerm, erstwhile Pheu Thai MP, may be part of censure

All eyes on Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, leader of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), rumored enlistment of Ruling Pheu Thai Party MP Pol Capt Chalerm Ubumrung to grill Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in censure debate Monday. Only those who are expected to deliver possibly damning allegations against the government.

Gen Prawit will deliver his speech after opposition leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut makes a statement in the House of Representatives, PPRP secretary-general Paiboon Nititawan said.

Gen Prawit will spearhead the assault on Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the only target of censure, on a range of issues including the Alpine temple land, the casino-entertainment complex project and the MoU 44 territorial issue with Cambodia.

Behind closed-door discussions, the prolonged detention of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra in a luxury ward at Police General Hospital instead of imprisonment behind bars is also set to come under scrutiny.

The man widely believed to be the de facto leader of the Pheu Thai Party is Ms. Paetongtarn’s father, Thaksin. Although the detention also involves the case of Thaksin himself, it is essentially about the Shinawatra family, Mr Paiboon said.

Gen Prawit is expected to make two other allegations that the PPRP’s secretary-general, however, did not elaborate on. “These will be new charges against the premier. That’s all I can say at this time,” he said.

One source, however, posited that Pol Capt Chalerm, a notorious star debater with a grudge against his own party, may have leaked vital information on Thaksin’s detention before the reckoning.

Gen Prawit had the prior meeting with Pol Capt Chalerm where he told him he wanted to be among PPRP’s debaters quota, the source said.

However, the opposition People’s Party (PP) deputy leader Rangsiman Rome on Saturday said the list of debaters was still not yet finalised because it was at this time impossible to guarantee Pol Capt Chalerm’s ability to take part.

“In case Pol Capt Chalerm applied to join, PP’s leading figures would have to be asked first,” Mr Rangsiman said.

“There is no quota for government MPs in the opposition,” Mr Rangsiman said.

The censure discussion will stretch over Monday and Tuesday, with the opposition given 28 hours to grill the prime minister, while seven hours will be allotted to the government and cabinet to respond to questions.

Pol Capt Chalerm’s clash with Thaksin follows his attendance in an post-local-election gathering that was organised by a rival Pathum Thani candidate in Pathum Thani last year he and his son, former MP Wan Ubumrung, attended. Mr Wan then left Pheu Thai and joined the PPRP.

Pol Capt Chalerm has also threatened to reveal secrets about Thaksin and said he is mulling the need to become a non-affiliated MP.

At a dinner she hosted for coalition parties on Friday, Ms Paetongtarn looked relaxed.

Ms Paetongtarn wrote on her Instagram account, @INGSHIN21, that the gathering was light-hearted and that other party leaders recounted stories and experiences of censure debates they had faced in the past with her.

“It was fun and really a morale booster,” she wrote.

Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, said on his part that the coalition stood ready to unite behind the prime minister and brace for any allegations they face.

Although the no-confidence motion was registered only against Ms Paetongtarn, it is similar to a motion against the whole cabinet, said Mr Anutin who is also the deputy prime minister and interior minister.

He said he had confidence in Ms Paetongtarn’s capability, despite the high stakes of having a censure debate for the first time.