Thailand's parliament has been deadlocked for weeks over forming a new government, after the Forward Party won the general election but failed to convince conservative lawmakers in the Thai Senate to vote for it. As a result, the Pheu Thai Party, which came in second in the election, took over the task.
Pheu Thai Party nominated Mr. Srettha Thavisin (center) for the position of Prime Minister of Thailand. Photo: Reuters
Thailand's parliament will vote on Tuesday on the candidacy of Pheu Thai's Srettha Thavisin, a 60-year-old real estate entrepreneur who entered politics only a few months ago. "We are confident that Srettha will win the vote," Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew told a news conference.
The Pheu Thai coalition, which includes several military-backed parties, is expected to win 314 seats in the Thai parliament. Meanwhile, Mr Srettha needs a minimum of 375 votes from both the Senate and the House of Representatives to be approved as prime minister and form the next government .
That means the coalition still needs to rely on support from non-coalition lawmakers to win in the end.
The Pheu Thai Party said it would lead a coalition government to deliver on promises including tackling corruption, raising the minimum wage and pushing for more democratic constitutional changes, but not amending laws related to the monarchy.
Earlier, the Progressive Party's attempt to change the kingdom's lese majeste law was met with opposition from conservative lawmakers, causing their coalition to form a government to collapse.
Hoang Anh (according to Bangkok Post, Reuters, CNA)
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