Thailand’s PM survives fourth no-confidence vote
Bangkok, Jul 23 (EFE).- Thailand’s prime minister on Saturday survived yet another no-confidence vote in parliament, the fourth since he took office after the March 2019 election.
Prayut Chan-ocha, who is also defense minister, led the 2014 coup d’état and the subsequent military junta before becoming a politician.
He won the support of 256 parliamentarians from the broad ruling coalition, with 206 votes against him and nine abstentions.
The result increases the likelihood that Prayut will see out his term through to the general election scheduled for early next year.
Thailand’s parliament, which began debating the no-confidence motion on Tuesday, also voted to keep 10 other cabinet members in office, including Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
In a poll conducted at the end of June by the National Institute of Development Administration, 11.68 percent of those polled favored Prayut, 68, as next prime minister. He has not yet announced his intention to stand for re-election.
He was surpassed by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 35 years of age and head of the opposition Pheu Thai Party, with 25.28 percent of the support, and Pita Limjaroenrat, 41 and leader of the progressive Move Forward Party, with 13.24 percent.
The Shinawatra family maintains its popularity in Thailand despite the fact that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister and former prime minister Yingluck live in exile after they were both evicted from office in separate military coups. Paetongtarn is Thaksin’s youngest daughter. EFE
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