Mr. Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the March Forward Party (MFP), is currently the leading candidate for the position of Prime Minister of Thailand.
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| Mr. Pita Limjaroenrat affirmed that he has the necessary support to become Prime Minister of Thailand. (Source: AFP) |
On June 27, the politician confirmed that he had “enough” support from the Senate to become the head of the new government. The statement was made just days before the new Thai Parliament convenes its first session on July 3. King Vajiralongkorn will preside over the event. The next day, lawmakers will elect the Speaker of the House of Representatives. On July 13, the House of Representatives and the Senate will jointly vote to elect the Prime Minister.
The eight-party coalition led by the MFP currently holds 312 seats in the lower house. According to the Thai Constitution, Pita Limjaroenrat will need to gather at least 376 votes in a joint vote involving 500 members of the lower house and 250 senators.
However, this will not be a simple story, because according to the 2017 amended Constitution, all senators are appointed by the Thai Army. Previously, the MFP and this force had a deep disagreement regarding the amendment of the "Lèse-majesté Law", which regulates the punishment of individuals whose behavior is considered insulting to the monarchy.
For his part, Pheu Thai Party Secretary-General Prasert Chantararuangthong said that the eight parties in the potential coalition are expected to discuss a backup plan at a meeting on June 29 if they are unable to form a government . When asked if the Pheu Thai Party has a “backup plan” if the Forward Party (MFP - the party that won the most seats in the May 14 general election) is unable to form a government , Prasert confirmed: “If necessary, the issue can be raised at the coalition meeting on June 29.”
Mr. Phichai Ratnatilaka Na Bhuket, Director of the Political and Development Strategy Program at Thailand's National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), assessed that the MFP leader has a good chance of becoming Prime Minister. According to him, the Democrat Party can become the deciding factor in the fate of the MFP leader. On July 9, the party will hold a congress to elect a new leader. If the party's former leader, former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, is re-elected, it is likely that this politician will support Mr. Pita Limjaroenrat to become the next Prime Minister of Thailand.
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