BANGKOK, June 27 (UPI) -- Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and his seven ministers easily won a confidence vote Friday despite opposition charges of mismanagement and inefficiency.
The six-party coalition led by Samak's People's Power Party, which has been in power for only four months, defeated the no-confidence motion in a 280-162 vote, Thai News Agency reported. The coalition enjoys a big majority in the 480-member lower house.
Samak's Cabinet had come under strong attack for three days from the sole opposition Democrat Party, which has 164 seats.
The ministers surviving the non-confidence vote include Deputy Prime Minister-Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee, Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama and Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung, the report said.
Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva was quoted as saying his party didn't expect to topple the government but wanted to shed focus on what he claimed is the government's mismanagement and inefficiency.
Among the issues was the opposition charge of government's failure to resolve Thailand's rice output and inflation problems.
