Bangkok: Thaksin Rejects No-Confidence Vote, Challenges Opponents
Bangkok—Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra launched a pointed counteroffensive against the opposition People’s Party (also known as the Orange Party) on Friday evening. His remarks addressed accusations leveled against him over the preceding week, accusations central to the upcoming parliamentary no-confidence debate. Speaking at a business forum, Shinawatra questioned the motives of the predominantly young party, many of whose members are the same generation as his daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
“Is this what you call a ‘new generation’ party?” he challenged, highlighting the irony of a party claiming youthful innovation while fixating on a figure no longer active in formal politics. “I honestly ask, what’s the purpose [of debating about me]? I’m not an MP. I’m not a minister. What will this accomplish?” He dismissed the attacks as premature electioneering, suggesting they wait for the elections still two years away.
The controversy began when the opposition filed a no-confidence motion on February 27, targeting Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and, notably, Thaksin Shinawatra. This sparked a procedural dispute. House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha requested the removal of Thaksin’s name, arguing that, as a private citizen, he would lack a platform to defend himself within the parliamentary debate.
The People’s Party, led by Opposition Leader Natthaphong Ruangpanyawut, initially resisted, maintaining their approach was constitutional and accusing the Speaker of exceeding his authority. This led to heated exchanges between the Speaker and Ruangpanyawut, with the Speaker emphasizing the need for an orderly debate and warning that the motion might not be scheduled if the opposition remained intransigent.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra downplayed the situation, referring to her father as “the father of the 31st Prime Minister” and emphasizing his lack of involvement in government affairs. She quipped that his only upcoming press conference would be for a Hollywood acting role.
Following internal deliberations on March 13, the People’s Party relented, agreeing to remove Thaksin Shinawatra’s name from the motion, resorting instead to alternative designations like “the Prime Minister’s father” or “that man.” Unfazed by this semantic maneuvering, Shinawatra quipped that they could call him anything, though he preferred a “handsome” epithet. He criticized the People’s Party for prioritizing irritation over constructive engagement, suggesting this undermined their credibility as a “new generation” political force.
Addressing accusations of behind-the-scenes influence over his daughter’s administration, Thaksin Shinawatra countered by alluding to similar allegations against the People’s Party regarding potential influence from Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the former Orange Party leader barred from politics. He challenged them to address their own internal dynamics before leveling such accusations.
Turning to the broader political landscape, Thaksin Shinawatra acknowledged the significant economic challenges facing his daughter’s government, drawing a parallel to the 1997 Asian financial crisis. He emphasized that today’s issues are more fundamental, requiring a longer-term approach to recovery and urging patience. He noted that his daughter understands the inherent scrutiny of the premiership and accepts no-confidence debates as a normal part of the political process. However, he dismissed the notion of appearing before parliament to address the accusations as absurd and disrespectful of established protocol, further challenging the People’s Party’s claim to represent a new and improved approach to politics.
