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Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra survived Thursday's no-confidence vote in parliament while massive anti-government protests continued outside.
Following two days of censure debate during which Yingluck responded to criticism and accusations by the opposition Democrat Party, the House of Representatives voted 297:134 in support of the lady premier.
She was slashed by Democrats for patronizing corrupt policies, failing to fight corruption in government, lacking leadership, efficiency and wisdom to run the country, performing as a puppet for former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, her own elder brother who was ousted in 2006 coup, and tending to undue interest of the Shinawatra family, among other charges.
She categorically dismissed all accusations, saying she never designed any corrupt policy or remained non-committal toward any effort to fix corruption problems. She also said the alleged Thaksin rule had nothing to do with her government.
"Such accusations might probably have been created by imagination. It is impossible for me to have patronized any corrupt policy since fighting corruption is one of my primary concerns.
"Those who may have been accused of perpetrating corruption in office are bound to come under investigation and rule of law...I have never distanced myself from any problems to which I am obliged to find solutions," she said.
Meanwhile, Yingluck called on former deputy premier Suthep Thaugsuban, who has organized massive anti-government protests along with other former legislators of the Democrat Party, to hold talks to prevent untoward incidents and avert a national political crisis.
Suthep, for whom an arrest warrant was issued following the occupation of government offices by the protesters since Monday, rejected offer for talks, saying he will not halt the anti- government rallies until the Thaksin rule allegedly carried out by the Yingluck government has been put to an end.
Yingluck has declared the enforcement of the Internal Security Act throughout Bangkok and its adjacent provinces to counter the escalating protest to press for her step-down.
