Thai Defence Minister dismisses calls for House dissolution following leaked audio
BANGKOK: The leaked audio clip between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen will not lead to the dissolution of the House or a coup, Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Wednesday (June 18).
He stated that the Thai Prime Minister had communicated and clarified the matter with the Commander of the 2nd Army Region and had received confirmation from the Commander that he understood the situation well and had no further questions or concerns.
'If the media or the public still have doubts about this matter, they may directly ask the Commander of the 2nd Army Region for clarification to prevent any misunderstandings,' he added.
Phumtham emphasised that the commanders of the other army regions were not involved in this issue, saying there was no misunderstanding.
Phumtham firmly rejected calls from Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, Secretary-General of the Progressive Movement, for the Prime Minister to resign and dissolve the House in response to the public backlash over the leaked audio clip.
'There is no reason to dissolve the House, and there is no possibility of a coup, as the current situation is not severe or critical enough to warrant such action,' he said.
When asked about concerns over the political situation and media reports, Phumtham replied, 'I'm not worried because the Commander of the 2nd Army Region has already confirmed there are no issues, and there is no need for panic.'
Finally, addressing doubts about the government's stability, he stated that the government remains strong, and the matter had already been clarified between the Prime Minister and the Commander of the 2nd Army Region during their meeting.
He reiterated, 'If anyone still doesn't understand, they can directly contact the Commander of the 2nd Army Region. This is not a crisis.'
Earlier, Piyabutr Saengkanokkul had called for the Prime Minister to dissolve the House, citing the leaked audio conversation between the Thai Prime Minister and the Cambodian Senate President, as well as the ongoing conflict between the Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai parties over the Interior Minister position, which he believes has affected the stability of the government.
He stated that under nearly two years of this cross-party government, the Pheu Thai Party had failed to implement its campaign promises and thus called for the Prime Minister to dissolve the House of Representatives so that the public could decide anew who should lead the government and resolve the political crisis in the short term.
He added that his suggestion was for the benefit of both the country and the Pheu Thai Party, to prevent the situation from leading to a coup.
'Prime Minister, please show leadership and dissolve the House. There is nothing more important than the people,' Piyabutr said. - The Nation/ANN
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