Opposition Claims Evidence Ready for No-Confidence Debate
Opposition leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said the no‑confidence motion against 18 ministers is substantive, not mere political theatre, and that he possesses evidence to back the allegations. He expects the debate to last at least five days, arguing that a shorter period would be unfair given the number of accusations, and stressed that the opposition’s goal is to inform the public so voters can judge politicians.
Natthaphong said he is confident the opposition has documentation to support its accusations against ministers, and that the wording of the motion is not merely theatrical. He acknowledged that the opposition does not have enough votes to defeat the government in parliament, so its aim is to reveal information and let society judge politicians. He explained that debate time will not be split for the ‘Klaitham’ group, and that the motion, filed under Article 151 of the constitution, targets 18 individual ministers. He expects the debate to last at least five days, which he considers reasonable compared to previous no‑confidence debates under the Prayut and Paetongtarn administrations. If the government insists on only three days, he argued that would not be a fair negotiation but should reflect the actual number of allegations and ministers involved. He added that he will wait for the government’s view before deciding how to allocate time. Regarding claims that the motion amounts to ‘entertainment democracy’, Natthaphong said the substance will only be clear once the motion is heard and ministers respond. He defended the allegations — such as claims of ministers being ‘mobile‑phone‑holding hypocrites’ or having ‘corrupted hearts’ — as legitimate questions about government performance, noting that while not all accusations lead to criminal charges, the parliamentary debate can uncover patterns of wrongdoing, like the alleged collusion in Senate selections. He said the motion may group ministers into categories, for example those linked to Senate‑election scandals, which could be described as crimes against democracy, but he declined to pre‑emptively name who would be questioned on what. Natthaphong expressed confidence that his party has done its homework, and that the government’s dismissive attitude is normal, insisting that the opposition’s real goal is to lay facts before the public so citizens can decide.
