Censure Debate on Gov Aborted

"It is not possible to censure the government because the constitution does not give the legislators such authority," he said.

The NLA members [led by veteran Prasong Soonsiri] instead should concentrate on their legislative jobs as loads of work were pending, he said.

A group of about 20 NLA members close to Sondhi Limthongkul and leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy - fierce enemies of deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra - plans to launch the censure debate on the government of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont.

They claimed Surayud seriously failed in some respects of national administration, particularly probing into alleged frauds conducted by the Thaksin government.

Most NLA members reportedly do not want to involve with the Prasong group because they do not see failure under Surayud government will step down once the new elected government assumes power in early next year as scheduled.

Surayud earlier had criticised the Prasong group for attacking players of the same side, which they would die all in the end.

Meanwhile, Prasong said Surayud should be open-minded and let the NLA do its job. Although the proposed NLA debate might not give the members power to vote against the ministers, he believed the public would get some benefits as the people would know if the ministers achieved in their administration.

NLA member Praphan Khoonmee, Prasong's aide, said all governments could not avoid the public's scrutiny. Surayud and his ministers had no exception, he added.