Opposition Leader Calls for More Than Three Days in Debate
Opposition leader Natapong Rueangpanyawut criticized the government for unilaterally setting a three-day limit for the no-confidence debate without consulting the opposition. He said the opposition refuses to accept such a short timeframe and accused the administration of playing political games to restrict debate. Natapong added that his side is ready and called for a proper joint whip meeting to decide the schedule.
Natapong Rueangpanyawut, a list-MP and leader of the People's Party, spoke at Parliament on October 19, 2069, after a meeting of the shadow cabinet. He said that giving the opposition only three days to debate the no-confidence motion would require the government to provide additional time for clarification, meaning the administration is trying to limit the opposition to just two days for interrogating 18 ministers.
He added that the government has not yet consulted any opposition representatives, and the Parliament president has not convened a joint meeting of the party whips to agree on the debate schedule and duration. Natapong urged the government to stop making unilateral decisions and to stop speaking on behalf of the opposition without prior discussion.
He cited past examples from 2020 to 2022, when no-confidence debates lasted four full days regardless of the number of ministers involved, and noted that the current proposal would be insufficient given the larger number of ministers under scrutiny.
Natapong said the opposition’s preparations are largely complete and that they are ready to proceed whenever the government allows. He stressed that the decision on how many days to allocate and which ministers to include must be made through a proper joint whip meeting.
When asked about the government's claim that the prime minister’s overseas commitments limit the timetable, Natapong replied that anyone holding the premiership can manage their own schedule and should prioritize parliamentary duties if they wish.
He described the opposition’s campaign as aiming to show that the current regime poses a real threat to the country, accusing its policies of being criminal against democracy and suggesting links to budget spending benefiting certain business groups and other sectors.
