Under-fire Chavalit faces toughest test

Embattled Prime Minister General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh was yesterday fighting for his political life as opposition parties, having tasted blood last week, prepared to file a no-confidence motion against the ruling six-party coalition.

Few governments will ever have been as vulnerable to attack as General Chavalit's when the motion is debated at the end of this month.

The Prime Minister recognised the widespread anger over incompetent and self-serving government when, after weeks of prevarication, he announced last Friday his Government would accept a new anti-sleaze constitution.

Democrat MP Abhisit Vejjajiva said a no-confidence motion against General Chavalit's handling of economic and political crises would be filed today.

'He is going to be under continuous pressure . . . despite his change of position, because the issue of trust and credibility is something he has been unable to overcome,' Mr Abhisit said.

Powerful people - including the army chief - had warned the premier public feeling was running so high it would be too provocative to try to derail the new charter.

General Chavalit yesterday assured the wary public he had patched over the conflicts in his coalition between old-guard elements, including the bulk of his own New Aspiration Party (NAP), and those who refused to be left behind in the movement for reform.