PM 'won't tolerate attacks'

Anutin says he might dissolve House early

- MONGKOL BANGPRAPA

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has warned that he may dissolve the House of Representatives before Jan 31 if a no-confidence motion is submitted against his government, asserting he will not allow political opponents to "attack the government for free".

Speaking during an interview session at the "Thailand's Next Frontier: A National Economic Vision" forum yesterday, Mr Anutin was asked whether he still intended to dissolve the House within four months, as agreed in the memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the People's Party (PP).

He said that timeframe was a commitment made to the PP as both sides believed dissolving parliament and returning power to the people through a general election would be the most appropriate course of action given the political situation at the time.

Mr Anutin elaborated by saying that, although the PP has more MPs, it lacks a prime ministerial candidate.