Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha hit back at opposition Pheu Thai MPs this morning (Tuesday), reminding them of the alleged massive corruption, which he claims took place during the regime of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, and the party’s “parliamentary dictatorship”, using their majority control of the parliament to push their political agenda.
Having been the target of heavy criticism from opposition MPs, particularly those of the Pheu Thai party, and their repeated calls for him to step down, the Prime Minister sought permission from Parliament President Chuan Leekpai to exercise his right of rebuttal.
He said that, in his speech yesterday, he never mentioned the class struggle, but merely spoke about the new and old generations in Thailand, and his desire that they should work together.
The Prime Minister said that what is being seen today is a breakdown of the family institution, with children not respecting their parents and students not respecting their teachers. “Can you accept this if it happens in your family,” he asked the opposition MPs.
While maintaining that he is not addicted to power, he said he still has duties to perform and cannot resign, as demanded by the opposition, because he has to return favour to the Motherland.
The Prime Minister rebutted the Opposition’s accusation, that the current political conflict was the product of the military coup he staged in 2014, to topple the government of Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra.
Without naming the party, he said opposition MPs keep criticizing the military coup, while ignoring their own parliamentary dictatorship.
“If there had been no coup back then, would there have had a riot? Have you forgotten what you did that caused the chaos and corruption? You seem to have a short memory,” said the Prime Minister.
The two-day general debate, to allow MPs and senators to express their views on how to resolve the current political conflict, resumed this morning.
