cut and paste from breaking news

Thai PM wins no-confidence vote

June 27, 2008 - 4:04PM [0604GMT]

Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and seven cabinet colleagues have won a vote of no-confidence in parliament.

Samak, who took over from a military-run administration four months ago, gained a simple majority of MPs in an electronic ballot on Friday.

"There are 442 MPs attending today's meeting. One hundred and sixty-two voted against Samak and 280 voted to support Prime Minister Samak," House Speaker Chai Chidchob told parliament.

"Therefore Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej can continue his premiership."

Seven cabinet ministers comfortably won separate votes of no-confidence against them.

"The censure debate is now complete and all cabinet members retain their posts," Chai said.

The votes follow three days of debate in which Samak and his cabinet colleagues were grilled by opposition MPs accusing them of mismanaging government.

Foremost among the accusations levied was that Samak had acted on behalf of deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled by royalist generals in 2006 and charged with widespread corruption.

The government was also accused of failing to handle soaring food prices, not defending the revered monarchy, and handing control of a disputed heritage site to Cambodia.

Samak was widely expected to survive the vote as his six-party ruling coalition controls about two-thirds of the chamber.

translated = deal has been done as to when he will quit.

... does it mean anything if you have thousands marching up to Government Square demanding the resignation of the Government!  Its only Parliament as such that have voted against a "no confidence" vote.  Its a bit like Mugabe who has recently said, he has no quarrel with the Queen or the British people, its No. 10 he has the problem with.

WhiteDesire wrote:

... does it mean anything if you have thousands marching up to Government Square demanding the resignation of the Government!

Well, uh, yes it does.

A few thousand people, even tens of thousands, have no legal power to overthrow a government democratically elected by a population of over 60 million.

There is a process -- a democratic process -- to be followed.  That has now been done, and the government has survived.

The PAD rabble will have to wait for the next election, when their favored candidates will surely be defeated once again.

From their moniker, they really should be called "People Against Democracy".

Like many previous governments here, this one purchased its way into power. Not much democratic about that.

fattman wrote:

Like many previous governments here, this one purchased its way into power. Not much democratic about that.

Yeah, they should design it more like here in the US; where the elections are pure as the driven snow.

dboy

does it snow in Florida?

dave_syd wrote:

does it snow in Florida?

I would have thought so with the amount of snowbirds that are there.


George.

fattman wrote:

Like many previous governments here, this one purchased its way into power. Not much democratic about that.

I have not heard the PAD make the accusation that the last election was won as a result of election fraud or vote buying.  Have you?  I wonder why that would be, since you seem to feel that Samak wouldn't be in power otherwise.  Perhaps you should give them a call and tell them.

George Soros, anyone?

You think George Soros is corrupt?  Interesting, but can you tell us why?

As for vote buying, what do people consider George Bush's tax rebate -- just a few months before a presidential election?  Or politicians promising to lower taxes, or establish universal health care?  It's all the same to me:  "I'll put money in your pocket if you vote for my party".  Ho hum.

I suppose we could now say that threat of the no confidence vote that would have led to the failure of the government and coup that would somehow reinstall the former PM has subsided and it will be safe to go outside in Bangkok this week?

ArNolD wrote:

I suppose we could now say that threat of the no confidence vote that would have led to the failure of the government and coup that would somehow reinstall the former PM has subsided and it will be safe to go outside in Bangkok this week?

It was never unsafe to go out in Bangkok, unless you're talking about katoey wallet snatchers and the like.

Chao Na wrote:

I have not heard the PAD make the accusation that the last election was won as a result of election fraud or vote buying.  Have you?  I wonder why that would be, since you seem to feel that Samak wouldn't be in power otherwise.  Perhaps you should give them a call and tell them.

Good to see The Lad is back and in fine fettle

homintern wrote:

Chao Na wrote:

I have not heard the PAD make the accusation that the last election was won as a result of election fraud or vote buying.  Have you?  I wonder why that would be, since you seem to feel that Samak wouldn't be in power otherwise.  Perhaps you should give them a call and tell them.

Good to see The Lad is back and in fine fettle

Looks like "the Lad" is also writing into the Bangkok Post, under the name "Phil Meads".  Here's his letter to the editor dated July 3:

Quote:

Voters Chose the PPP

Mr. Mildew in Postbag, July 1, states that "everyone knows the elections were bought".  Sorry, not everyone.

The international monitors, the defeated Democrat Party, even the PAD rabble-rousers are not campaigning against the election result.  In fact what "everyone" knows is that the Thai electorate wanted the PPP to win.