PM Paetongtarn wins the censure debate after delivering an emotional speech in which she declares she is ‘100% Daddy’s Girl.’ Despite harsh opposition criticism, her resolute address, invoking her father’s legacy, won support and boosted confidence in her government.
Prime Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s government won the censure debate on Wednesday. It came after an emotive and resolute speech by the embattled prime minister on Tuesday. Faced with ridicule and piercing scrutiny which threatened to undermine her on Tuesday, she replied with a speech from the heart. Certainly in it, she admitted she was her father’s representative in parliament. Indeed, she went further and declared herself as ‘100% Daddy’s Girl’. Furthermore, she told astonished MPs that while she may have to someday resign as prime minister, she would never resign as a daughter and as a mother to her children. It was resounding revelations that certainly inspired respect. Later a Bangkok-based poll, showed confidence in the government had increased over the two-day debate.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her government won the Section 151 Censure Debate on Wednesday morning. Indeed, this was already a foregone conclusion. The morning meeting in the House of Representatives was over as soon as it began. In brief, House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha closed the session directly after the official announcement.
The session closed at 10.13 am.
Government secures 319 votes in favour of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in the censure debate
At length, the government secured 319 votes against the opposition’s 162, with 7 abstentions. Notably, this included four Democrat Party MPs who are seen as the old guard and hostile to Mr Thaksin Shinawatra.
493 eligible MPs could have voted. Therefore, 5 were not present in the chamber. The censure motion, in particular, had targeted Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra as the only minister named.
Certainly, some votes in favour of the government were surprising. For instance, they included 5 Thai Sang Thai Party MPs and significantly, an MP for the Palang Pracharat Party.
At length, this was Ms. Kanchana Chawang, a member from Chaiyaphum. In addition there was Mr. Chai-amphon Manphienchit, an MP for Bangkok for the Thai National Party. All voted with the government.
Afterwards, in the chamber, there was a lightening of the mood as the MPs and officials took photos. Indeed, People’s Party leaders Mr. Nattapong Ruangpanyawut and Sirikanya Tansakul also joined the cabinet in a show of goodwill.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn delivers a powerful speech after opposition criticism in the Censure Debate
This followed a particularly striking speech by PM Paetongtarn on Tuesday.
Notably, it came after she had been mercilessly thrashed by the opposition bench speakers.
For instance, People’s Party star performer Rangsiman Rome had spent 100 minutes poking fun at the prime minister. This was over her father’s illness at the Police General Hospital, which prevented him from being returned to prison.
After that, the People’s Party Pakamon Noon-anan demolished the PM’s credibility when it came to economics. Indeed, Ms. Pakamon raised doubts about her grasp of the government’s affairs.
However, afterwards came a moving speech from the prime minister’s heart. It certainly stunned the chamber. In particular, she addressed the People’s Party MP Rangsiman Rome.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra addresses opposition over the 2006 coup and her father’s legacy in an emotional speech
Ms. Paetongtarn made the point that were it not for the 2006 coup d’état, her father may well be Prime Minister in the House of Representatives, facing Mr. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit.
At the same time, she called out the opposition for being under the control of Mr. Thanathorn. In short, she appeared to accept that she was her father’s representative. Furthermore, she spoke of the abuse and suffering her father and his family had endured.
Ms. Paetongtarn spoke of visiting her father in exile when she was first pregnant. In the meantime, she said he would never have believed she could be addressed in the way she was on Tuesday. Certainly, she asserted it was not for the best. Therefore, she called for a better understanding between her side of the house and the opposition.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn declares she is ‘100% a daddy’s girl’ and will never resign from that position
Significantly, she told the stunned house that she was ‘100% a daddy’s girl’ and would never resign from that position.
Indeed, a North Bangkok poll by North Bangkok University, published on Wednesday, showed Ms. Paetongtarn additionally won among the public.
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The poll showed that 25.7% of people saw their confidence in the government increase because of the debate. At the same time, 59.7% said it remained the same.
Certainly, only 14.6% said their confidence level decreased after two days of robust argument and mudslinging. Undoubtedly, this marks a period when Ms. Paetongtarn appears to have grown in stature particularly within herself.
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