Barkar Nash (Page 1,035)

Deputy leader of the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, on Monday thanked the party’s supporters for their vote in the election, saying the party will follow the election’s winners lead when it comes to forming the next government.

Speaking at Government House on Monday after the results of Sunday’s elections were released, he expressed his gratitude for every vote cast in favour of the party and its candidates, especially those cast by UTN supporters in Nakhon Si Thammarat, his hometown.

“UTN MPs from the South have managed to reach their targets, so I want to thank voters in Nakhon Si Thammarat for making it happen,” he said.

He said losing an election is normal, before congratulating the parties which secured more votes than the UTN.

“We’ll have to wait and see how the next cabinet will look like,” he said.

Mr Thanakorn said UTN’s leaders had gathered to discuss the result, adding Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had instructed him to allow the winners of the election to take the lead in forming the next the government.

Gen Prayut had also instructed him to do his best to run the caretaker government, which has three months left before the next government is sworn in, he said.

When asked about the possibility of forming a minority government, Mr Thanakorn said the scenario looks uncertain, before adding he was ready to sit on the opposition bench.

He also said that Gen Prayut’s “eight-year quest for the country” was enough to cement his legacy.

“I think that his non-corrupt, political performance over the past eight years would be enough for him to live on in people’s minds,” he said.

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Police arrested a Polish man, 25, for allegedly murdering his Ukrainian girlfriend and trying to dismember the body at a highrise condominium in Bang Kolaem district, Bangkok.

According to police, the man identified as Jan Filippow hailed a taxi at the condominium building on Monday afternoon, apparently in such a big hurry to leave that it aroused the taxi driver’s suspicion.

The driver tried to have the man wait and then notified condominium staff of his suspicious behaviour.

However, the Polish man ordered the taxi driver to take him away from the building immediately.

Building staff informed the condominium room owner of the incident and later found the body of the 27-year-old Ukrainian woman lying face up in a bed in her room on the 32nd floor.

The body had been slashed from the neck to the left shoulder and the left wrist was cut off.  A saw was left on the bed. Police believed the woman had been dead for several days.

Condominium staff said the woman and her Polish boyfriend had arrived as tourists on April 29.

Detectives learnt that the suspect paid the taxi driver 1,500 baht to take him to a place near the Thai-Cambodian border in Sa Kaeo province.

Pol Maj Gen Teeradet Tumsutee, investigative chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said that the suspect was arrested at the Aranyaprathet border checkpoint in Sa Kaeo while he was crossing the border to Cambodia.

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The Peu Thai Rumphalang Party was a dark horse that won two seats from 11 constituency MP candidates in Ubon Ratchathani.

The small party, whose name and logo remind the public of the Pheu Thai Party, took two seats in the big northeastern province, overthrowing the long-standing local MPs. 

The two winning candidates took over Ubon Ratchathani’s Constituency 3 and Constituency 10. 

Phimphakan Phonsamak received 31,218 votes from Constituency 3, or 31.35% of all votes, while the second-most voted candidate from the same constituency was Chuwit Phithakphonphanlop who received 22,020 votes. 

Mr Chuwit joined the Democrat Party in the 1990s and later was a long-time Pheu Thai candidate for Ubon Ratchathani.

Mrs Phimphakan was a former president of the Ubon Ratchathani’s provincial administrative organisation (PAO).

Mrs Phimphakan has worked for locals for decades and was active in helping communities during the pandemic.

For the province’s Constituency 10, Peu Thai Rumphalang Party’s candidate, Somsak Bunprachom, won the seat with 63,127 votes or 64.79%, beating the Pheu Thai Party’s candidate Somkhit Chueakhong who got 19,351 votes.

Mr Somsak was a contractor and president of a local club in Nam Yuen District in Ubon Ratchathani. He was also known to be active in helping locals during the pandemic. 

Some reports said that the 50,000-vote difference between Mr Somsak and Pheu Thai Party’s candidate resulted from Mr Somsak’s effort to familiarise himself with Nam Yeun district’s locals. 

The Peu Thai Rumphalang Party was founded on Oct. 25, 2021. Wasawat Poungponsri was assigned party leader, while Wichai Jitpitaklert was made secretary-general. 

The party office is at tambon Suthep in Muang district of Chiang Mai. It has nine party executives.

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Two senators have indicated they will not vote to support Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat as the new prime minister, questioning his attitude towards the monarchy.

Senator Jadet Insawang said on Monday that he took oath on assuming office that he would protect the present constitution.

Sections 6 and 50 of the constitution required everyone to protect the constitutional monarchy, he said.

The Move Forward Party and Mr Pita had previously announced their intention to revoke Section 112, which related to His Majesty the King. That would lead to discrediting the royal institution, and was unacceptable, Mr Jadet said.

Section 112 is the lese majeste law under the Criminal Code.

“If Mr Pita is nominated [for prime minister], I will reject it because I will observe the constitution and keep my oath,” he said.

“The institution has nothing to do with you. You will change Section 112 and lessen the penalty. I am asking why,” Mr Jadet said.

Senator Kittisak Ratanawaraha said a candidate for prime minister must be loyal to the nation, its religions  and the monarch.

Senators would consider the possible impact on the nation before making their decisions, and they had proved to be mostly unanimous in their past votes, he said.

The senator also said that the Election Commission had yet to consider a complaint against Mr Pita’s qualification for the position.

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The Department of Disease Control on Monday warned the public that Covid-19 was again spreading and advised people to be serious about protecting themselves from the disease.

Dr Tares Krassanairawiwong, the director-general, said that last week there were 2,356 Covid-19 inpatients, up by 39% from the previous week.

The number of patients who had lung inflammation and were dependent on ventilators went up about 45%. Related fatalities doubled on a weekly basis.

Of the latest fatalities, 55% were vulnerable and unvaccinated people and the remainder were those whose Covid-19 antibody count had plunged since being vaccinated or infected more than six months ago, Dr Tares said.

He said people should get Covid-19 and influenza vaccines simultaneously to reduce the risk of severe illness from both diseases.

The covid virus has again been spreading since the Songkran festival in mid-April.

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US ambassador Robert Godec on Monday issued the following statement regarding the May 14 general election.

“Yesterday, tens of millions of people participated in the vote across the Kingdom of Thailand – as election observers, poll workers, members of the media, candidates, and, most importantly, voters.

“As a longstanding friend and ally of Thailand, the United States looks forward to the final results,” the statement said.

Election Commission chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong said on Monday that 99% of the ballots had been counted. He said the Move Forward Party had won the largest number of seats.

Of the 52,238,594 eligible voters, the turnout on Sunday was a record 39,293,867, or 75.22%, surpassing 75.03% in 2011 and higher than at the 2019 polls, when turnout was 74.87%.

On the petition filed with the EC over Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat holding shares in a defunct media firm, Mr Ittiporn said there had already been an investigation process.

Robert Godec,  US ambasador to Thailand. (Army photo)

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Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat announced on Monday the formation of a planned coalition government comprising five former opposition parties and one new party, with a total of 309 MPs and himself as prime minister.

Mr Pita made the announcement after the Election Commission declared the Move Forward Party the victor in Sunday’s general election with 151 MPs – 112 from constituencies and 39 from the party list.

He said he took the victory as a mandate from the people for his party to be the core in the formation of the next government.

Mr Pita said he had called Paetongtarn Shinawatra, leader of the Pheu Thai Family, and congratulated her for her determination during the campaign and had invited her party to join a coalition. Ms Paetongtarn, in return, congratulated Move Forward and said the media should be informed that the two parties had talked, in the interests of transparency, he added.

The three other former opposition parties he had contacted were Thai Sang Thai, Prachachart and Seri Ruam Thai. The five parties had 308 MPs combined.

Mr Pita said he was contacting Pen Tham, or the Fair Party, which had one party-list MP, to join the coalition. He said it was a party which had worked arduously for peace in the three southernmost border provinces.

The six parties would have 309 MPs in total, enough to be a majority government, he said.

The five former opposition parties would discuss details regarding policies and work plans. It would also be necessary for them to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) so that the people would see what would happen to Thailand in the next 100 days and the year ahead.

A team of negotiators would be set up for the formation of the government. Promises made to the people during the campaign would be discussed for further implementation. A public referendum would also be held for the amendment of the constitution.

After the talks, Move Forward would seek to meet with people in the government and business sectors and promote understanding with those holding different opinions from it.

“We would form the government as soon as possible, so that there would not be a political and economic vacuum. Please be assured that Move Forward will be fast and meticulous,” Mr Pita said.

Asked whether Move Forward worried that senators would not vote in support of the coalition to meet the required 376 votes of endorsement for prime minister, Mr Pita said he was not concerned about it. The party had a mandate from the people.

Mr Pita said he did not see any reason for the senators to go against the people’s mandate, which should be accepted by all concerned.

Asked whether Move Forward or Pheu Thai would take the defence portfolio, Mr Pita said he was ready to be prime minister and concurrently take another cabinet post. But he would not mind if there was another person suitable for the post.

Concerning Section 112 of the Criminal Code, or the lese majeste law, Mr Pita said this had not been raised for discussion with other parties. However, Section 112 could be amended in parliament. Move Forward had 151 MPs, enough that it could itself propose amending legislation.

Mr Pita said what was more urgent than amending the law was the plight of people indicted in political cases and their chance of being pardoned.

Asked whether he was concerned about a petition filed against him with the Election Commission over his shares in a defunct media firm, Mr Pita said he was ready to clear this matter with the Election Commission.  People should not worry about it, he added.

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The Pheu Thai Party said on Monday it agreed to a proposal to form an opposition coalition with the Move Forward Party and had no plan to form any other government, after the two parties dominated a weekend election.

Pheu Thai leaders told a press conference they were confident that a bloc with 309 seats would be enough for a stable government, but nominating a prime minister depended on legal requirements.

— More to follow —

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Army chief Gen Narongphan Jitkaewtae left for Hawaii on Sunday night and will return late this month.

Gen Narongphan flew out to attend the Land Forces of the Pacific (LANPAC) Conference in Hawaii from Monday to Thursday. He would then visit the US Army Pacific (USARPAC) headquarters in Hawaii, the announcement said.

He was scheduled to return to Thailand on May 28, a source said.

The army chief’s trip is at the invitation of Gen Charles Flynn, commanding general of USARPAC, who visited Thailand last month.

His departure came as the Move Forward Party took the lead in Sunday’s general election and planned to form the next government. The party earlier announced a policy to reform the military.

Last week the army chief said that if the Move Forward Party was able to form the next government, or if there is policital unrest after the general election, the military would not stage a coup.

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