Only four months in office, Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej faced his first no-confidence vote. With majority seats in hand of government coalition parties, the 73-year-old premier comfortably survived the big test.
"You may stay forever as Prime Minister," House Speaker Chai Chidchob, after announcing the balloting results, told Samak in what appeared a joke or slip of the tongue – in Thai the word "forever" sounds similar as "still". Samak laughed.
However, to make through with just the rest of his four-year term as he has vowed to, Samak needs more discreetness than self-assurance or light-heartedness.
He got 280 confidence votes and 162 no-confidence votes from a total of 442 members of parliament in the House of Representatives present in Friday's voting.
Similar results were indicated with the seven other cabinet members targeted in the no-confidence motion filed by the opposition Democrat Party, even with those under heaviest fire like Deputy PM and Commerce Minister Mingkwan Saengsuwan and Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama.
All the eight belong to the People Power Party (PPP), the core party of the six-party coalition government which took office on February 6.
During the past three days' grilling, opposition MPs have questioned Samak government's allegedly ineffective performance and destructive policies, and over his capability in leading the government.
The Democrat Party accused Samak and the seven ministers of having exacerbated, rather than eased, economic hardships, political rifts, security risks, and undermined national interests.
Observers said opponents are playing the nationalist card, accusing Samak and Foreign Minister Noppadon of compromising the country's sovereignty for some hidden agenda related to Thaksin's business interests, by endorsing a bid of the Cambodian government to list the ancient Preah Vihear Temple located in a disputed boundary zone between the two countries as a World Heritage site.
The issue has become a hot one and is expected to remain so around the country, and especially among supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which has staged rallies and protests in central Bangkok to call for Samak's step-down since May 25.
Some members from coalition parties have voiced dissatisfaction with the government's explanation on the issue. And some hinted Noppadon should be replaced to quell mounting pressure on the government.
Although the eight survived the vote, the debate itself might have added damage to the Samak administration by further highlighting to the public its alleged weaknesses, already blown up by the PAD rallies and an earlier general censure debate in the Senate.
