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The Democrat Party is expected to file a no-confidence motion tomorrow to censure the government after Prime Minister Samak Sundara-vej yesterday rejected a call for a general debate on its performance after just four months.

The opposition whips may finalise preparations for a censure debate today, Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said.

The targets for grilling include Samak and five to six Cabinet members.

"If the government is to continue running the country as it has been doing, the country will suffer a lot more damage," Abhisit said.

He voiced optimism that the government may overcome pettiness to allow the censure debate to take place.

Under the Constitution, a no-confidence motion must reach the floor at least seven days before the closing of the extraordinary House session, which is scheduled for June 27.

Those facing censure may include Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Surapong Suebwong-lee and Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan.

Either Transport Minister Santi Prompat or his deputy Songsak Thongsir were likely to be grilled in connection with a controversial lease deal for 6,000 buses in Bangkok.

Opposition MPs need to race against time to draft the motion and submit it on time to pre-empt delaying tactics expected from the government, which will try to persuade the House speaker to stall by putting the motion on the House agenda.

Regardless of whether the House backs the debate, the Senate will proceed with its general debate to grill the

government on June 23.

The Upper Chamber's grilling is for the exchange of views and rebuttals without a casting vote.

In his weekly "Talking Samak Style" televised yesterday, Samak turned down the opposition's call for a general debate.

He said he wanted the people and the parties concerned to hear his reply at the same time so that he would not be misquoted should he respond via reporters on Wednesday when the proposal would be submitted at Government House.

"The opposition members appear too eager for an attack. I will not let this happen especially when the government is in office for four months and has done nothing wrong," he said.

He said he initially agreed to meet with Abhisit at Parliament on Thursday but the opposition whips rushed to his office a day before to petition him to exercise his discretion to hold the House-Senate session for a general debate.

The Democrats have made an unreasonable demand for general debate since the Senate will grill him and his Cabinet members on June 23, Samak said.

"I will definitely appear before the senators as I am confident I can answer every question," he said.

Since the Senate debate is scheduled just two days ahead of the budget deliberation, on June 25, he deemed it redundant for the Democrats to grill him again within such a short time.

By tradition, the budget debate is seen as a de facto censure of government, he said.

"I am not stubborn nor afraid of the opposition members because in just four months, no mistakes have been committed," he said.

He said he deemed the budget debate to be more urgent than a censure debate and that he will not extend the extraordinary House session to accommodate the opposition's grilling.

The extraordinary session is meant for the budget deliberation and he has already extended the timeframe for the passage of a few organic laws which are required within the 180-day deadline, he said.

Samak criticised the Demo-crats for rushing to judge him and his government even before they had a chance to work.

The government has just circulated an idea for leasing 6,000 buses to improve service and relieve the debt accumulated by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority of Thailand, he said.

But some critics had launch-ed an attack accusing several billion baht in graft had taken place.

Samak said they alleged that he had pocketed Bt2 billion, that Khunying Pojaman, the wife of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, had allegedly been given Bt3 billion and banned Thai Rak Thai Party executive Newin Chidchob had received Bt2 billion.

This was an impossible accusation because corruption cannot happen after an idea had been circulated, Samak said.

He threatened to sue if details of the allegation were published by the media.

With regard to the possibi-lity of extending the House

session, Democrat spokesman Ong-art Klampaiboon said the opposition had 164 votes while the session extension would require the support of 210 MPs.