Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon is confident that the governing coalition will complete its four-year term, and sees opposition MPs' support on key issues and ministers' resignation as MPs -- allowing other Palang Pracharath members to take their place -- as key to the coalition's success.
Gen Prawit said at Government House on Wednesday that he aired his idea about the resignation of five Palang Pracharath Party ministers as MPs when he officially began his role as the party's chief strategist on Tuesday.
He said he was not pressuring for their resignation as MPs but he would like the ministers to consider his remark.
"I only said that if the majority is marginal and the ministers have heavy workloads, they should consider if it is necessary to resign as MPs to let others succeed them in the House. It is up to them. I let them make their own decision," Gen Prawit said.
He was apparently referring to Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan, Industry Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit, Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin, and Deputy Finance Minister Santi Promphat.
Party members told him that the ministers always attended parliament sessions and voted. "I am not ordering them to resign. I said they should think about it," Gen Prawit said.
He did not confirm media reports that about 20 opposition MPs were ready to vote with the government. But he said "It will be good if opposition MPs vote with the government on important motions."
Regarding the report that four MPs from the New Economics Party would defect to the coalition, Gen Prawit said there had not been an official discussion with the party, but he was not sure whether any members of his Palang Pracharath Party might have approached them individually.
Gen Prawit said that as the chief strategist of Palang Pracharath, he encouraged party MPs to be united and he was confident that the coalition would serve its full four-year term and his party would win more House seats in the next election.
The coalition has 253 votes, including the House speaker, in the 500-member House.