Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha hit back at opposition MPs today, accusing them of distorting facts to discredit his government, undermining public confidence and constantly seeking to create conflicts in the country.
On the second day of the no-confidence debate today (Wednesday), the prime minister told the House that he has been listening attentively to the points raised by the Opposition and has, so far, not found any worthy of consideration, although he had not expected them to speak positively about him or his administration.
“It is normal for them to oppose, but they must also put the country first,” said the prime minister, as he maintained that he is doing everything for the good of the nation, even though he may fail in some areas.
Responding to the Opposition’s accusations that his government has failed in all respects, economically and in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the prime minister said, in his defence, that it is not only Thailand’s economy which has been devastated by the pandemic, many other countries’ have as well.
Responding to the accusation that all the populist schemes, rolled out to help the Thai people, are a total waste, he challenged the Opposition to ask millions of Thai people who have benefited from the schemes whether they are useless.
The prime minister said he regrets that the Opposition are making accusations against his administration and him personally, without factual evidence to back them up.
As MPs, no matter of which political camp, he said that they must not create conflict or incite division in society, as he alleged that some opposition MPs are behind several of the current anti-establishment protest groups, without providing evidence to support the claim.
The prime minister said that some opposition MPs repeat the same accusations against him, despite the fact that he has already made clarifications on numerous occasions.
The Opposition’s role is not to oppose everything initiated or undertaken by the government, or the country will not move forward, said the prime minister, as he asked for fair treatment from the Opposition.
He said that he regrets the mistakes made by his government and agrees to apologise adding, however, that he will never resort to dirty tricks against his political opponents.
“I have respect. Many of you (opposition MPs) are good people who love the country, but there are some who love yourselves more. Please stop and think of our country,” said the prime minister.
Regarding mass vaccinations, he assured the House that, despite some hitches, there will be sufficient vaccines for the population by the end of this year.
