Opposition parties took aim at the government, saying it is sitting on ''time bombs'' that could bring it down, while Democrat Party MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat Chinnaworn Bunyakiat yesterday denied claims the government was in danger.
At a forum held by opposition parties in Nakhon Ratchasima on Saturday, Prasert Chanthararuangthong, secretary-general of the Pheu Thai Party, said the constitution is undemocratic as it was designed to help Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha cling on to power, particularly with the support of the appointed 250 senators.
Mr Prasert said the government now faces "time bombs", including the budget bill for 2023 fiscal year. If the bill fails to get endorsement from parliament, the prime minister must show responsibility by dissolving the House, paving the way for a general election to be held, he said.
Another time bomb is that if amendments to the organic laws on the election of MPs and parties are passed by parliament, this will also put pressure on the PM to dissolve the House, Mr Prasert said.
The no-confidence motion against the government which will be tabled by the opposition parties when parliament reconvenes on May 22 will be another threat.
The PM would be ousted from office if more than half of MPs voted against the PM, Mr Prasert said.
Moreover, it is still not clear whether some 18 MPs from the Setthakij Thai Party and 12 MPs from small parties will take sides with the government or the opposition during the censure debate.
If they support the opposition, this will afford it leverage during the no-confidence vote, Mr Prasert said.
Supoj Arwas, spokesman for the Prachachart Party, told the forum that the government's stability is rocked by fighting among coalition parties and among factions within the ruling party.
Democrat Party MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat Chinnaworn Bunyakiat yesterday brushed aside suggestions by opposition parties that Gen Prayut's tenure as prime minister would end in August or that the government was in danger. He said the decision on the matter on tenure rests with the Constitutional Court.
Under the constitution, a prime minister can only serve for a maximum of eight years. However, the end of Gen Prayut's term is currently disputed because no one can agree on when he actually took office.
Some believe his term began in 2014 following the coup which toppled the Pheu Thai administration. Others, however, say his term began in 2019, when his premiership was royally endorsed after the general election.
