Abhisit Says Five-Day No-Confidence Debate Is Manageable
Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva dismissed Deputy PM Anutin Charnvirakul's concerns about the no-confidence debate schedule, asserting that five days to censure 18 ministers is manageable and constitutionally appropriate. Abhisit criticized the government for treating the process as a mere ritual and urged respect for parliamentary scrutiny, noting the three party whips would negotiate the timetable. He also warned that rushing the debate would confirm the government's disregard for democratic checks and balances.
Abhisit Vejjajiva, Democrat Party leader, told Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul not to belittle the no-confidence debate, stating that managing five days for the censure motion against 18 ministers is not difficult. He noted the Constitution prohibits party mergers, and revealed he discussed the 'iDeaR' case with Sirichok at 1:15 PM on October 21, 2026, at Parliament. Abhisit said the debate should be held October 27-30 before his overseas commitments.
He explained the opposition needs about five days to thoroughly debate all 18 ministers, which is the baseline. However, the government cannot simply dictate a convenient short timeframe. He expected the three whips' meeting later that day (October 21) would find a solution.
Abhisit said the government would likely question the need for five days, but the opposition is ready to explain why. The Prime Minister's schedule is not completely fixed and time can be managed — it is not impossibly difficult, and Abhisit cited his own experience as former premier.
Asked whether the PM proposed increasing opposition time while cutting ministerial response time, Abhisit said that would not be appropriate. He questioned why the PM would want to reduce his own explanation time, suggesting the PM has treated the no-confidence process as a mere ritual to rush through. Abhisit emphasized this is a crucial democratic check-and-balance process where both sides should present fully, allowing all MPs to hear arguments and decide whether the 18 ministers deserve continued confidence.
Regarding the PM's claim of unavailability after October 30, Abhisit said subsequent dates would work if prior overseas commitments are necessary. However, he did not believe the government cannot manage one week for Parliament to fully scrutinize the administration as the Constitution intends.
Asked if the opposition would wait if the debate does not proceed, Abhisit said it will proceed. The three whips can calculate exactly how many opposition speakers, minutes per person, and total hours needed for 18 ministers. If the government says no debate is needed and just wants a show of hands, that only confirms the government disrespects Parliament's work, treating everything as ceremony. The Democrat Party plans to focus on 4-5 key ministers, but Pheu Thai has information on all 18 and demands full time.
On speculation about a post-debate merger between Kla Tham and Bhumjaithai parties, Abhisit said he did not know, as he belongs to neither. Daily rumors circulate about parties dissolving or switching sides, but the Constitution's intent does not allow such mergers, though most parties seem to ignore this.
