“Thaksin pledged on August 25, 2004 that he would instruct his government MPs to endorse the censure if his Thai Rak Thai Party won 400 House seats,” he said.

Presently the three opposition parties hold 124 House seats, but 200 are needed to conduct a check on the prime minister, he said. The ruling Thai Rak Thai Party has 374 seats.

“The government’s overwhelming majority [though short of 400 seats] has completely blocked the activation of all checking mechanisms and it is time for Thaksin to honour his word,” Sathit said.

Thaksin would face increasing problems if he refused the grilling in Parliament, he said, alluding to the mass protests against the government in recent weeks.

The censure will focus on Thaksin’s alleged manipulation of the laws and the Constitution to enrich his family, Sathit said. The opposition lawmakers were studying whether to add a charge of unusual wealth, he added.

Democrat MP Alongkorn Pollabutr called on Thaksin to stay on and fight the censure instead of dissolving the House to escape the charges.

“The prime minister may opt to call a snap election rather than face the parliamentary grilling,” he said.