SURASAK TUMCHAROEN

Chart Thai leader Banharn Silpa-archa yesterday vowed to join a Democrat-led opposition bloc to help censure any cabinet ministers suspected of wrongdoing.

Although Chart Thai MPs would back Thai Rak Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra to get appointed as prime minister again, they also resolved to join the Democrats in the opposition camp and do the duty of keeping the executive branch under scrutiny, said Mr Banharn, a former prime minister.

They would join forces with other opposition members to seek no-confidence motions against any cabinet minister suspected of malfeasance or other wrongdoing.

``Chart Thai's decision to join the opposition camp alongside the Democrat and Mahachon parties has nothing to do with our intention to raise our hands in support of Mr Thaksin as prime minister again,'' Mr Banharn said.

``We'll be with the opposition to help keep the government in check, otherwise the established parliamentary system will entirely go out of order,'' he said.

Without Chart Thai in the opposition bloc, the Democrats would likely fail to launch a censure debate against any cabinet member, given the fact they have won fewer than 100 House seats, he added.

Mr Banharn said he had already called up Mr Thaksin to tell him to go ahead with his plan to form a single-party government.

He added that his party was content with the election's outcome, although it won less than 30 House seats.