Embattled Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will not resign or dissolve parliament, a senior official of her Pheu Thai Party said on Saturday.
Speculation that Ms Paetongtarn would accept proposals from coalition parties to quit or dissolve parliament after the passage of the budget bill “are completely untrue”, party secretary-general Sorawong Thienthong said in a post on Facebook.
Mr Sorawong, who is also the minister of tourism and sports, was responding to growing calls for the prime minister’s resignation for her mishandling of a border dispute with neighbouring Cambodia.
Protests calling for Ms Paetongtarn’s ouster have been attracting more people since the leak of a phone call she had with former Cambodian premier Hun Sen, in which she appears to disparage the Thai army.
The Bhumjaithai Party said the damage caused by the leak was one of the reasons it was leaving the coalition, which now has a narrow majority in the House of Representatives.
“The Prime Minister has firmly affirmed to us that she will continue to fully carry out her duties in addressing the crises the country is currently facing,” Mr Sorawong said.
Ms Paetongtarn has tried to ease public anger over the leaked phone call by apologising and calling for national unity, but her rivals have threatened to escalate street protests to press for her removal. On Friday, she also visited troops at a border post to show support for soldiers involved in the standoff with Cambodia.
Ms Paetongtarn’s administration is now focused on resolving the Thai–Cambodian border issue, for which it is carrying out strong countermeasures on both diplomatic and security fronts, and seriously pushing negotiations to resolve US tariff threats, said Mr Sorawong.
Narrow margin
The coalition led by Pheu Thai now holds about 255 seats in the 495-member House and cannot afford more defections.
The ultra-conservative United Thai Nation Party, now the second-largest in the coalition with 36 seats, is threatening to leave the government unless Ms Paetongtarn steps down to make way for a new prime ministerial vote.
However, United Thai Nation (UTN) has problems of its own, and the proposal to leave the coalition is backed by only 18 members loyal to leader Pirapan Salirathavibhaga.
Mr Pirapan is one of a handful of candidates who could succeed Ms Paetongtarn as prime minister if the House had to choose someone new.
A UTN dissident faction led by former labour minister Suchart Chomklin is still weighing its options, which could include joining another party, Klatham, and remaining in the coalition.
But if the 18-member Pirapan faction pulls out, the government would no longer command a working majority, placing its stability and legislative viability in jeopardy when the House begins a new session on July 3.