Number of Senate backers a mystery
The seven parties in the eight-member political alliance led by the Move Forward Party (MFP) want the MFP to tell them how it would handle the parliamentary vote to select a new prime minister, in the event party leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, fails the first vote set for Thursday.
Questions have been raised among the seven prospective coalition partners as to how many times the vote will have to be organised to pick a new prime minister. House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha previously said the vote would be repeated until a new prime minister is selected successfully.
The parties also want the MFP to respond to rumours about a proposal to keep repeating the vote until the Senate’s term expires in May next year in case Mr Pita fails to secure sufficient votes from the senators for him to become the new prime minister.
Prasert Chantararuangthong, secretary-general of Pheu Thai Party, a key partner in the MFP-led alliance, said he didn’t expect the MFP to discuss about what it would do in case Mr Pita fails the first vote as the party appears fairly confident he will win.
Mr Prasert was referring to discussions at the next meeting of the eight parties on Tuesday which was called by Chaithawat Tulathon, secretary-general of the MFP, ahead of Thursday’s vote.
Asked if the MFP had clarified how many votes from senators it has secured for Mr Pita, Mr Prasert said the MFP had not mentioned any exact figure. As for its own affairs, Pheu Thai has called a party meeting on Wednesday, he said. Mr Prasert said he personally disagreed with any minority government ideas.
Senator Amphol Jindawatana said on Facebook he intends to vote for a prime minister nominated by those parties with support from more than half of MPs. That is the same principle he followed when casting his vote for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in 2019, he said.
Mr Pita, meanwhile, visited Suphan Buri in an up-country trip to thank supporters of the MFP before he attended a get-together with MFP supporters outside CentralWorld later in the day in Bangkok.
“If you, all my fellow MPs, agree it’s time to end the unusual political development and return to normality, you don’t have to choose me but any new government that comes from the people. Will you?” he said at one point while in Suphan Buri on Sunday. Asked if what he would do if he fails the first vote, Mr Pita said: “Keep voting then”. An opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll, found most people believe the eight parties will succeed in their push for Mr Pita to become prime minister.
Meanwhile, activist Ruangkrai Leekitwattana said he believes he has dug up new information adding weight to Mr Pita’s alleged ineligibility to contest the election and become an MP and a prime minister. According to Mr Ruangkrai, Mr Pita has earned money from writing and publishing at least four books, which might be considered the operation of a newspaper as defined under the Printing Registration Act 2007.
He said he will next file a petition with the Election Commission asking the poll regulator to investigate whether his theory holds weight.
In other news, Senator Somchai Sawangkarn threatened the EC with legal action if it attempts any further delay in deciding if Mr Pita is ineligible to become an MP and be nominated as a prime ministerial candidate.
Mr Somchai said the EC should have petitioned the Constitutional Court to hear Mr Pita’s iTV Plc shareholding case by now, and suspend him from duties while processing the case.
The EC committee looking into Mr Pita’s alleged ineligibility linked with his past holding of 42,000 shares in iTV had already wrapped up its investigation and will likely forward findings to the EC’s main committee on Monday or Tuesday, according to a source.
Deputy Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) leader Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, meanwhile, said if the parties in the caretaker government have to nominate a candidate in the election for PM in case the MFP-alliance fails the vote repeatedly, the parties will have to discuss first who they should nominate.
The nominees could include Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, or Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.