The opposition Pheu Thai Party has vowed to initiate another censure debate to oust the government, saying a new motion will be submitted by next month so that it takes place before this parliamentary session ends on Sept 18.
"This is highly important as we can no longer let the government continue mismanaging this country while more dangers loom," Pheu Thai's secretary-general Prasert Chanthararuangthong said on Tuesday.
"We have already forwarded several proposals to the government about resolving the problems facing the country," he said.
"However, it has chosen to ignore them so it can continue on its course of damaging the economy."
Mismanagement of Covid-19 containment and the vaccination programme are among the most serious mistakes the government needs to be held accountable for, he said.
Asked how confident the opposition was this time about being able to remove the government from power, given the coalition's majority in parliament, Mr Prasert said the current Covid-19 outbreak and economic situation are so serious the opposition believes it will win enough support from MPs.
Previously, Pheu Thai had also said it was looking to see if a lawsuit can be filed against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for mishandling the Covid-19 situation.
Asked if it was possible for individuals to file a lawsuit against the government, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said a no-confidence debate was normally the main channel for grilling the government and making it accountable for any mistakes.
As for any suspected violations of the law believed to have been committed by the government, petitions are normally filed with the Administrative Court that are sometimes won and other times lost, he said.
Asked if the current emergency decree prohibits any lawsuits from being filed against the government, he said civil suits can always be lodged against any state official to seek compensation for any alleged misconduct, while pursuing a criminal suit against would be rather difficult as they have immunity.
In related news, the House committee vetting the constitution amendment draft has chosen Palang Pracharath Party list-MP Paiboon Nititawan as its chairman.
He was elected with a winning majority vote of 27.