BANGKOK (NNT) – Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, has dismissed rumors of a House dissolution to avert censure debate against the government. He said such news was fake and legal action would be taken against those who may have circulated it to scare the people and adversely affect the economy.
Mr Wissanu said he didn’t know where the fake news may have come from and quoted Prime Minister/Defense Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha as assuring the public that he would not dissolve the House for any unnecessary reason. He said the House could not be dissolved on the date on which a censure motion has been lodged, nor until the date on which a subsequent vote of confidence is cast in accordance with the law.
However, he said the House could possibly be dissolved with specified reasons ahead of the date on which a censure motion is lodged. Reasons for a House dissolution might be related to conflict between the House of Representatives and the Senate or conflict between the House of Representatives and the government or any political crisis which might keep the government from running the country. As such, the government might possibly prefer to return power to the people so that they can make a decision for themselves on an unresolved issue. The House might well be dissolved after amendments to the constitution have been completed, thus calling for the promulgation of a new one.
Gen Prayut categorically dismissed the rumors of a House dissolution or a cabinet reshuffle and said such news has merely caused confusion. He said he hasn’t made a decision about anyone who might be invited to join his cabinet but admitted he has considered strengthening his economic team of ministers to the extent that deputy prime ministers and those attached to several portfolios could work together. But he said no outsider has been considered to join the cabinet and help steer government projects as yet. He said a cabinet reshuffle would not occur until after his coalition government had become more stable than it appears now.
