PUBLISHED : 28 Jul 2023 at 14:32
Caretaker Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is concerned about the rallies organised by supporters of the Move Forward Party (MFP) to vent their dissatisfaction with the Senate and the ongoing political situation, according to Prime Minister’s Office Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana.
Gen Prayut had expressed concern about the rallies for fear that they could drag the country back into conflict between groups of people with different political views, Mr Thanakorn said on Friday.
Mr Thanakorn, who is deputy leader of the United Thai Nation Party (UTN), said he would like the MFP to tell its supporters to abide by the law. The supporters were not satisfied with most of the junta-appointed senators who did not vote for prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat of the election-winning MFP.
He reiterated that the UTN would not vote for any prime ministerial candidate from a party with Move Forward as a coalition partner, mainly because of the MFP’s firm stance on amending Section 112 of the Criminal Code, or the lese majeste law.
When asked whether the Pheu Thai Party had approached the UTN to form a government, Mr Thanakorn said he was not aware of this, as the matter was being handled by the party leader and the secretary-general.
The UTN deputy leader expressed his confidence that his party and Pheu Thai can work together because it is now time for all sides to join hands to help the country to move steadily forward.
“I don’t see any problem for the two parties to work together, as long as we adhere mainly to the country’s interests,” Mr Thanakorn said. He also added that he believed the new prime minister would soon be selected once the concerned parties made a breakthrough in their negotiations.