Noppadon gets least votes

Noppadon, who was highly speculated to be sacked form the Cabinet, received the least votes of confidences of 278 votes while seven other censure targets got between 279 to 280 votes.

Noppadon was widely speculated to be removed from the Cabinet after he was badly battered by the opposition during the 3-day censure debate for his role in supporting Cambodia's bid to register Preah Vihear as a world heritage site.

Priem Minister Samak Sundaravej comfortably won 280 Yes votes and 162 Democrat MPs gave him a vote of no-confidence.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee.Surapong received 279 Yes votes while 161 opposition MPs gave him a No vote.

An MP abstained.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan, who was also badly battered during the debate, got 279 Yes votes and 161 No votes. An MP abstained.

Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung, who was the last to be attacked in the censure debate and was a highlight of the showdown, got 279 Yes votes and 162 No votes.

Justice Minister Sompong Amornwiwat got 280 Yes votes and 162 No votes.

Transport Minister Santi Prompat got 279 Yes votes and 162 No votes.

Santi's deputy, Songsak Thongsri, won the censure showdown with 280 votes of confidence while 162 MPs voted against him.

Noppadon was the last to face the voting call.

House Speaker Chai Chidchob initially surprised coalition MPs when he initially announced voting results for Noppadon. He said Noppadon got 178 Yes votes, but he quickly corrected himself.

"Don't be frightened. He got 278 votes of confidence," Chai said.

Before the voting was called on the censure targets, the House wasted nearly an hour squabbling whether the voting should be made in secret ballots or not.

The opposition proposed that the voting should be made in secret ballots to ensure coalition MPs' freedom to cast their votes.

But the coalition MPs argued that MPs could vote freely although openly.

The opposition asked Chai to make a judgment on the issue but Chai asked the House to vote to decide the issue.

The squabbling ended after a People Power Party proposed the House to decide on the voting type and most MPs agreed that the voting should be held openly.

The opposition also praised the government for setting precedence by having its 22 MPs who are also Cabinet members abstain.

PM's Office Minister Chusak Sirinil announced that Samak saw that to avoid possible legal technicality in the future, the 22 MPs, who are Cabinet members, would abstain.