Thailand: PM Prayuth Survives Fourth Confidence Vote

    Image copyright: Reuters [via Al Jazeera]

    The Facts

    • Thai PM Prayuth Chan-ocha survived a no-confidence vote on Sat., with the opposition garnering only 206 votes out of 477 members of the parliament. More than 239 votes are needed to oust a PM in Thailand.

    • This was the fourth time Prayuth faced a motion of no confidence since 2019 when lawmakers installed him as the national leader for a term lasting until Mar. 2023. Prayuth took office in 2014 following a coup.


    The Spin

    Establishment-critical narrative

    The Thai political establishment has proved again to be disconnected from the public by not ousting PM Prayuth. It's time to face the reality that Prayuth could be granted another term if the opposition camp doesn't focus on expanding its popularity ahead of the 2023 elections.

    Pro-establishment narrative

    The censure debates were tragic for Thai democracy. Not only was it based on fake news, but the opposition even resorted to using toxic rhetoric against the PM which was unacceptable. The government has taken several measures to tackle national challenges in the best interest of the Thai people.


    Establishment split

    CRITICAL

    PRO

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