THAILAND: CENSURE OF TRANSPORT MINISTER ENDS IN

UNCLAS BANGKOK 004238 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV, USPAC FOR FPA HUSO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL TH SUBJECT: THAILAND: CENSURE OF TRANSPORT MINISTER ENDS IN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE OF CONFIDENCE REF: BANGKOK 4001 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. The Thai Parliament voted overwhelmingly and along party lines not to censure Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit for irregularities related to bribes reportedly paid by InVision Corporation to win a procurement contract for airport scanners at Bangkok's new international airport. While the outcome of the no confidence vote came as no surprise, Thai media stories are characterizing the parliamentary debate as an example of democratization in Thailand. It remains to be seen whether the opponents of PM Thaksin's Government can continue to use the scanner scandal effectively to attack him. Rumors abound that Thaksin will continue to do damage control by reshuffling the Cabinet, perhaps as early as mid-July. END SUMMARY. VOTE COMES AS NO SURPRISE ¶2. (U) On June 29, the Thai Parliament responded to more than 14 hours of debate held the previous day by voting not to censure Transport Minister Suriya. As expected, the voting went mainly along party lines: 367 opposing censure, 119 in favor, with 7 abstentions. None of the ruling Thai Rak Thai (TRT) MPs present voted to punish Suriya while all of the opposition Democrat and Chart Thai MPs voted in favor of censure. The two MPs from the Mahachon Party abstained. Six MPs were absent. FOCUS ON SNOH ¶3. (U) While the vote was never in doubt, pundits were all watching how TRT faction leader Snoh Thienthong would vote. Snoh has been involved in a very public feud with PM Thaksin -- even threatening to leave the TRT with his supporters. Speculation over whether Snoh would fall on his sword over the case died once he opted not to attend the vote on censure. Notably, Snoh's son, Sorawong Thienthong, voted with his TRT colleagues against censure. OPPOSITION LEADER PROVIDES THEATER ¶4. (U) The most colorful part of the parliamentary debate centered on Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva locking horns with the well-coached Suriya. Among other things, Abhisit alleged that InVision Corporation paid bribes through a local contracting company to TRT officials in order to win the airport baggage scanner contract and that those TRT officials in turn used that money to finance TRT's overwhelming electoral victory in February. Abhisit also erroneously claimed that a report issued by the U.S. Justice Department alleged bribes were paid to a Thai political party -- a charge Suriya refuted. PUBLIC OPINION MIXED -- DEMOCRACY SUPPORTED ¶5. (U) The national media generally credited Abhisit with having won his verbal sparring match with Suriya, even though the final vote went Suriya's way. The Nation newspaper heralded the censure debate as "an exemplary demonstration of checks and balances at work in a parliamentary democracy." A number of Thai political observers have taken to quoting a recent Asian Wall Street Journal editorial which noted that InVision was allegedly involved in bribing officials in three countries -- the Philippines, Thailand and China -- but that only Thailand chose to conduct its own inquiry into the matter. COMMENT ¶6. (SBU) By ensuring that Snoh's supporters, including Snoh's son, marched in step with the rest of the TRT, Thaksin demonstrated his firm control over his Party. It remains to be seen whether the corruption scandal can continue to help Abhisit breathe new life into the Democrat Party -- or whether Abhisit's performance in the debate will improve his ability to win new supporters for his Party. Rumors continue to circulate widely in Bangkok that, in response to the corruption scandal and as a way to show his characteristic decisiveness, Thaksin might shuffle his Cabine