Government Defends 300-Vote Majority as Opposition Shifts
The government defended its 300-vote parliamentary majority on September 22 as the opposition removed the Khom Tham Party from its bloc, with Deputy PM Paradorn arguing that parties outside the coalition must take opposition status and indi
Deputy Prime Minister Paradorn Peridananurok, speaking at Government House on September 22, 2569, defended the government's 300-vote majority and rejected suggestions that it was improper for the opposition to remove the Khom Tham Party from its bloc. Paradorn, speaking as Thai Proud Party MP for Ang Thong, said he saw news reports of the opposition meeting on September 20 but has not consulted Khom Tham's spokesman Artthakorn Sirilattakorn about the details. He declined to comment further, saying he did not want to overstep.
Paradorn argued that any party outside the governing coalition must automatically take opposition status, unlike the formal agreement required when joining government. He contended that removing a party from the opposition bloc does not violate anyone's rights, and that individual MPs have the privilege of voting as they choose. Some votes see Khom Tham opposing the government, some abstaining, and some voting with the executive—all within MPs' individual prerogatives, he said.
On future parliamentary speaking time and debate privileges, Paradorn said allocation must be proportional to all 500 MPs, since parliament belongs neither exclusively to opposition nor government but to all members equally. He acknowledged that if an independent opposition group of 50–60 MPs emerges alongside the main opposition, time must be fairly divided.
When asked whether the government's 300 votes remain sufficient, Paradorn said the administration is functioning well at that level. He repeated: "We have been managing at 300 votes." On the possibility of Khom Tham joining government, he said he does not know and has not discussed the matter with Khom Tham's leader or Thai Proud Party leadership.
