The Pheu Thai Party has decided to concede the post of House Speaker to the Move Forward Party – with Pheu Thai taking the two deputy House Speaker posts – in order to end the dispute between the two parties over the matter, Pheu Thai deputy leader Phumthai Wechayachai said on Sunday.
Mr Phumtham said that up until now Pheu Thai had adhered strongly to its stand that since Move Forward would take the post of prime minister, the head of the executive branch, Pheu Thai should be given the House Speaker post, the head of the legislative branch.
However, the two parties had locked horns over the matter, with Move Forward being persistent in taking the two top positions.
To overcome the impasse, Mr Phumtham said Pheu Thai had concluded it would concede the House Speaker post to Move Forward, the party with the most MPs.
Since the numbers of seats in the House of Representatives won by the two parties were very close, the posts of two Deputy House Speakers would go to the Pheu Thai Party, he added.
Mr Phumtham said the matter would be discussed in detail by representatives of the two parties.
However, that discussion should be held after the Election Commission has officially endorsed the MPs-elect, he added. The EC had earlier announced it would do so on June 21.
Dr Cholnan Srikaew, the Pheu Thai Party leader, said since the EC had set to endorse the MPs-elect on June 21, the leaders of the eight coalition parties would hold a meeting on June 22.
On that day, the party leaders would continue to discuss the formation of the government, he said, adding that he believed the allocation of cabinet posts and the post of House Speaker would then become clearer.