Thailand's Yingluck faces no-confidence motion

BANGKOK // Thailand's prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, yesterday faced a no-confidence debate launched by her opponents in parliament, a day after political protests turned violent in Bangkok.

But the motions, which also target three other government ministers, appeared to have little chance of being passed by a body dominated by Ms Yingluck's Puea Thai party and its coalition partners. "The prime minister has failed to govern this country as promised. She allows corruption," Democrat Party opposition MP Jurin Laksanavisit said in the debate, which is scheduled to last for three days.

"She also allows outside people to influence her and control her administration," he added, in a reference to Ms Yingluck's brother, ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. Ms Yingluck, who is accused by her rivals of being a puppet for her fugitive brother, said she was "confident" her government could defend itself.

Her six-party ruling coalition, formed after Puea Thai's decisive election win in June last year, controls about three-fifths of the seats in the lower house.