Thai opposition to lead no confidence vote in PM Prayut Chan-o-cha

The Thai Parliament will hold a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and five members of his cabinet ministers over charges of corruption and economic mismanagement.

Following four days of debate, opposition legislators levelled allegations that the government used taxpayer money to fund electoral campaigns against political rivals. Today’s vote follows the Constitutional Court’s suspension of the progressive Future Forward Party last Friday. This kind of judicial interference in politics has been a familiar occurrence under Prayut’s government, which coordinates with the judiciary and monarchy to handicap opposition parties.

Prayut, who headed the kingdom’s military junta before the adoption of a new constitution in 2017 and his subsequent transformation to civilian politician, is expected to emerge from the proceedings with his coalition intact. However, mass student protests and a drop in economic growth point toward future confrontations between the ruling establishment and democratic reformers. These disruptions will test the stability of the junta-drafted hybrid constitution that preserves the military’s grip on politics while allowing elections.

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