BANGKOK – Thailand’s prime minister hopeful Pita Limjaroenrat said he is willing to step aside and let his coalition partner Pheu Thai Party form the next government – if he again fails to muster enough support in the second voting next week.
In a video message posted on social media yesterday, Pita said he would renew his candidacy when the Parliament meets again on Wednesday for the second ballot.
He said the Move Forward Party (MFP) which garnered the most seats in the May 14 general election has the responsibility to form the government, however it has not succeeded.
“I will fight until the end but if the Move Forward fails, I will let Pheu Thai which has the second most seats form the government,” he said.
In the second sitting next Wednesday, Move Forward is also trying to push through a bill to strip the Senate of the power to vote for prime minister.
Meanwhile, Pita urged party supporters to help “convince” senators to back him in the upcoming round.
“I cannot change their (senators) mind. I’ve asked everyone to join this mission,” he said.
On Thursday, Pita’s bid for prime ministership hit a stumbling block after he failed to muster the backing of more than half of the 749-member bicameral Parliament to claim the coveted position.
Despite being the sole prime ministerial nominee, he only received 324 votes, while 182 votes were against him, and 199 abstained. A total of 44 members were absent from the sitting.
Only 13 of the 249 senators (one resigned on Wednesday) backed Pita with the rest voting against him or abstaining.
Move Forward believed the senators may be acting under duress.
The Move Forward Party, which won 151 seats in the May 14 general election and garnered more than 14.2 million votes, is leading a coalition of eight parties that together secured 312 of the 500 seats in the House of Representatives.
A day after Pita lost his bid to become prime minister, Move Forward filed a motion in Parliament to curtail the power of the 250-appointed Senate.
Pita was dealt a major setback on the eve of the vote when two legal complaints against him gained momentum.
On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court accepted a charge alleging that Pita and the Move Forward Party attempted to amend the lèse-majesté law, which amounted to an attempt “to overthrow the democratic regime of government with the king as a head of state”.
Besides that, the Election Commission recommended the court disqualify Pita as MP over a media shareholding violation. – Bernama, July 16, 2023
