A government whip has accused the opposition of making false claims regarding Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in its no-confidence motion and asked Parliament president Chuan Leekpai to act in order to rectify the falsehoods.
Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, the government whip secretary, said on Monday that certain accusations made about the prime minister which appear in the censure motion, filed against Gen Prayut and five other cabinet minister last Friday, are untrue.
He said the false allegations includes accusing Gen Prayut of failing to uphold the constitutional monarchy and overthrowing the constitution.
He insisted Gen Prayut came to power through due process under the current charter.
Government whip chief Virat Ratanasate said the motion set forth the opposition's intention to grill Gen Prayut based on his past roles as head of the now-defunct National Council for Peace and Order and prime minister during the previous government.
However, the censure debate must keep its focus on Gen Prayut in his capacity as premier during this present administration, he said.
Mr Virat demanded that the opposition correct the wording in the motion.
"The correction could be brought up for discussion at the meeting tomorrow between the government and opposition representatives and Mr Chuan to set the date and format of the censure debate," said Mr Virat.
Meanwhile, Suchart Chomklin, a government whip and chairman of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, said the censure debate should be scheduled from Feb 25 to 27 with a vote on the motion to be cast on Feb 28.
However, the opposition has maintained it would prefer the debate to take place in the middle of the month, saying three days may not be long enough as parliament is due to go into recess on Feb 29.
Phumtham Wechayachai, an adviser to opposition leader Sompong Amornwiwat, also said the debate cannot avoid mentioning Gen Prayut's time as coup leader because many government failures have dragged on from the previous administration.
Chief opposition whip Sutin Klungsang said the opposition should be given plenty of time to speak in the debate because it is the first time in six years that a no-confidence motion has been launched.
The censure targets are Gen Prayut, his deputies Gen Prawit Wongsuwon and Wissanu Krea-ngam, Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda, Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai and Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thamanat Prompow.
