Opposition demands 30 hours of debate in exchange for motion change

The opposition met with the House Speaker on Thursday and agreed in principle to remove the name of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from its censure motion.

However, the opposition stated that the final wording of the motion would depend on whether the government agreed to its demand for 30 hours to question Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra during the censure debate.

Whips to Negotiate Debate Time

Coalition and opposition whips, along with Cabinet representatives, were scheduled to meet on Thursday evening to discuss the opposition’s request for 30 hours to present its case.

Earlier, House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha had refused to accept the censure motion unless the opposition removed Thaksin’s name. The opposition argued that his name was included to highlight that Paetongtarn allowed her father to influence and dominate her role as prime minister.

Key Meeting at Parliament

At 1 pm on Thursday, Wan Noor held a meeting at Parliament with:

• Opposition leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut (People’s Party leader)
• Chief opposition whip Pakornwut Udompipatskul
• PP deputy leader Rangsiman Rome
• Deputy House Speaker Pichet Chuamuangphan
• House secretary-general Apat Sukhanan
• The House of Representatives’ legal team

Wan Noor had previously stated that a censure motion cannot name an outsider.

Before chairing the meeting, he told reporters that he aimed to reach an agreement by Thursday so that the motion could be included in the House agenda and the debate could begin on 24 March.

Opposition Stands Firm on Debate Time

After the meeting, Natthaphong said discussions were productive, and the House Speaker agreed to include the motion on the agenda, confirming that the censure debate would proceed.

He explained that changes to the motion’s wording would depend on the outcome of the whips’ meeting that evening.

The opposition insists on 30 hours for its debate, while the total debate duration would depend on how long the government takes to respond.

Natthaphong also told Wan Noor that if Thaksin’s name is removed, the meeting chairs must not interrupt opposition MPs when they mention him during the debate.

Wan Noor reportedly responded that the opposition is free to mention an outsider but would do so at its own risk of being sued for defamation. He assured that meeting chairs would not interfere.

Censure Motion Wording Still Under Discussion

When asked whether Thaksin’s name would be replaced with “father of the prime minister”, Natthaphong said the final wording would depend on negotiations over the debate’s timeframe.

He maintained that it would be impossible for the opposition not to mention outsiders, as the motion explicitly accuses Paetongtarn of allowing Thaksin to act as a shadow prime minister.

Natthaphong said the discussion gave him confidence that the debate would proceed, and he trusted Wan Noor to keep his word.