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Kasit was on an official visit to Phnom Penh yesterday to strengthen bilateral ties and discuss resolutions for the border dispute.

However, with so many Opposition members attacking the minister, the debate sounded more like a censor motion against Kasit instead of one held for considering agreements.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva presented the parliament with 41 drafts of the agreements, eight of which will be signed by Asean leaders, five by foreign ministers and the remaining 28 by economic and other related ministers.

Article 190 of the Constitution requires the government to have a parliamentary mandate before negotiating or signing any agreements with foreign countries. Abhisit said his government was obliged to put these agreements forward for parliamentary consideration because the session had been disrupted by the untimely demise of Somchai Wongsawat's government.

Instead of dealing with the subject at hand, members of the Opposition instead chose to attack the Foreign Minister, saying he should be held responsible for the postponement of the summit because he was actively involved in the People's Alliance for Democracy seizure of the two Bangkok airports.

More than 300,000 travellers were left stranded in Thailand due to the airport seizures in November, and Somchai's government used this as a reason to postpone the Asean summit, which was originally scheduled for mid December.

PAD's seizure of the airports was a serious matter for foreign travellers, but Kasit advocated it, saying it was an innovative struggle for democracy, Pheu Thai Party's Jatuporn Prompan said.

Given his active involvement in the airport crises, Kasit was a "rotten fish" in the Cabinet, said another Pheu Thai member Sunai Jullapongsathorn. He added that the government should not have given Kasit the authority to rebuild the country's image overseas because he was personally involved in an event that could be deemed a terrorist act, he said.

"The PM should fire Kasit and appoint Kraisak Choonhavan in his place," Sunai quipped.

In addition, Sunai said, Kasit's attitude toward leaders from neighbouring countries was very negative because he called Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen a "thug" during a TV talk show in October, Sunai said.

 "I suggest that the government have PM Office Minister Virachai Virameteekul sit in on the Asean summit," Sunai said.

Virachai took Kasit's place yesterday in explaining the framework of agreements meant for Asean foreign ministers.

Apart from Kasit, Sunai said Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai should also be disqualified from representing Thailand at the summit because the massage parlour owner knew nothing about Asean.

"Her background might not fit the position of a trade negotiator. She should take care of the tourism ministry instead," he advised.

Meanwhile, Senator Rossana Tositrakul said the government might be making a mistake by asking the parliament to approve the mandate of the agreements, rather than negotiating the framework.

Article 190 requires the government to ask the parliament for negotiation frameworks before the signing of agreements is approved through public hearing, she said.

"This might be unconstitutional," she noted.