Barkar Nash (Page 571)

ITV shares still loom over his PM bid

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has asked Move Forward Party (MFP) leader and prime ministerial candidate Pita Limja-roenrat to file documents relating to his role as his father’s executor, and Mr Pita has until July 23 to supply the papers.

The issue of media share ownership has become a potential sticking point in his bid to lead the country as head of the coalition government.

NACC assistant secretary-general Watanachai Sommee said Mr Pita had only submitted a record of his shares in iTV to the agency after he became an MP following the 2019 general election.

Mr Watanachai said the MFP leader also attached a copy of a court order appointing him as executor of his late father’s inheritance, but the NACC could not verify the document.

However, the NACC has asked Mr Pita to file documents relating to his role as his father’s executor and he has until July 23, Mr Watanachai said.

The MFP leader informed the NACC he held 42,000 shares worth 44,100 baht in iTV Plc on behalf of other relatives because he was executor of his late father’s estate.

The Bangkok South Civil Court ordered him to hold the shares in his capacity as executor, and he has already transferred them, he told the anti-corruption commission.

The iTV shareholding led to complaints questioning his eligibility to hold a political position because the constitution prohibits a shareholder in a media company from running in a general election.

Mr Watanachai said the NACC would also check on Mr Pita’s sale of a block of land in Pran Buri district of Prachuap Khiri Khan, as the sale price was not reported.

Mr Watanachai made the remarks yesterday as the NACC published the declared assets and liabilities of 40 of the MPs whose terms ended on March 20. They included Mr Pita.

Mr Pita’s net worth has fallen 41 million baht since he entered parliament four years ago, according to his declared assets.

The MFP leader declared he was single and had 85 million baht in assets, including 1.8 million baht in cash, 15 million baht in loans to his brother, 14 rai of land in Prachuap Khiri Khan worth 18 million, a condo worth 15 million baht and 19 million baht in insurance-related assets and relevant privileges.

Pheu Thai, PPRP plans still a mystery

Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s bid for prime minister hangs in the balance as a joint sitting of parliament will convene on July 13 for the crucial vote for a new PM.

House speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha said on Wednesday that if a PM candidate fails to win in a first round of voting, further rounds will be held until a candidate secures the required support in the joint sitting.

Meanwhile, it is not clear whether the Pheu Thai Party, which won the second largest number of House seats in the May 14 election, will nominate a candidate and who it will be if Mr Pita fails to win the post.

Key Pheu Thai figures had previously said the party would support Mr Pita’s bid but if he failed, Pheu Thai would then consider nominating its own candidate.

It is also not known yet whether the outgoing coalition parties, particularly the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) and the United Thai Nation Party (UTN), would also nominate any candidates.

However, speculation has been rife that PPRP leader Prawit Wongsuwon and UTN leader Pirapan Salirathavibhaga may also be nominated if Mr Pita fails to secure the support of senators.

By that time, the PPRP and the UTN would have been expected to lobby hard for support for their respective candidates, sources said.

Mr Wan, also parliament president, said he has scheduled voting for July 13 in consultation with Senate Speaker Pornpetch Wichitcholchai.

The 250 appointed senators are allowed by the constitution to participate in the vote, along with the 500 elected members of the House of Representatives.

Mr Wan said a PM candidate may win the post in the first round of voting on July 13.

If the vote is not in the candidate’s favour, another vote will be called.

Under the constitution, a PM candidate would need the support of at least half of the 750 members of both the lower and upper chambers of parliament, or 376 in total.

“Parliament must convene until a prime minister is elected. Mr Pita may not be the only candidate,” Mr Wan said.

“Mr Pita could win the post. Otherwise, a new prime minister must be chosen anyway.

“Under the constitution, parliament is duty-bound to elect a prime minister to run the country. The country cannot go without a prime minister.”

Move Forward won the most seats in the general election and has the right to attempt to form a government first.

Mr Wan said the eight coalition parties have 312 votes supporting Mr Pita for prime minister next week.

They need 64 more votes from senators or other MPs to reach the required minimum support of 376.

If Mr Pita is not elected in the first round, the constitution does not stipulate if a previously nominated person or a new candidate should be nominated at the joint sitting.

However, candidates must be from the lists submitted by parties to the Election Commission (EC) and their qualifications must be verified by the poll agency.

If they fail to win endorsement from the House and the Senate, an outsider can be nominated as allowed by Section 272 of the constitution, but the process is rather complicated, Mr Wan said.

Under the constitution, if a joint sitting of parliament fails to select a new premier from party candidate lists, Section 272 would trigger an alternative route.

In such a situation, half of the 750 MPs and senators can initiate a motion to suspend the rule requiring that PM candidates come from party lists, paving the way for an outsider to be selected.

Such a motion requires the support of two-thirds of all the lawmakers, or 500, to suspend the rule.

A nominated outsider would also need at least 376 votes to become prime minister.

Mr Pita faces complaints questioning his eligibility over a shareholding in iTV Plc.

The constitution bars individuals with media shareholdings from running for office.

Aligning of votes deemed ‘crucial’

The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) is considering appointing whips from within the current government coalition ahead of the upcoming prime minister vote, its deputy leader Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn said.

He said the coalition, which includes the PPRP, the United Thai Nation Party (UTN), Bhumjaithai, the Democrat Party and the Chartthapattana Party, needs whips after the election of the first deputy speaker of the House on Tuesday.

Witthaya Kaewparadai, of the UTN, who was seen as representing the current government coalition, ran against Move Forward’s Padipat Suntiphada in the election and received 105 votes, although the bloc has 188 votes. The Bhumjaithai Party, the largest party in the bloc with 71 votes, abstained from voting and triggered speculation about a possible split in the bloc’s vote.

Mr Chaiwut said it was not the case of a split vote. The government parties simply did not discuss how they would vote in selecting the first deputy speaker. Although the vote result had no political impact, he said that the current government parties need coordination to ensure they vote the same way in the next crucial vote.

“We just didn’t discuss it. We also wanted to see how things went with the other side so we get a picture of how many votes each side has,” he said.

The PPRP deputy leader denied any knowledge of Pheu Thai possibly forming an alternate coalition with Bhumjaithai and his party with PPRP leader Gen Prawit Wongsuwon as prime minister.

Gen Prawit on Wednesday declined to answer reporters’ questions about forming a rival coalition and him being nominated for prime minister in the parliamentary vote.

Meanwhile, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul appeared to avoid reporters on Wednesday when he arrived for a cabinet meeting at Government House. The Bhumjaithai Party leader entered and left the Thai Khu Fah Building via the back door instead of the main door that was swamped by reporters.

Mr Anutin also posted on Facebook a picture of a car, believed to be a 2002 BMW, with a message that he is prepared to return his official car and switch back to a “legendary” car.

PM hails performance as sign of a strong tourism sector

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has welcomed the news that four hotels in Thailand have received top-10 scores by La Liste, an authoritative French hotel and restaurant rating guide, a government spokesman says.

The hotels are Capella Bangkok, Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Amanpuri in Phuket and Six Senses Yao Noi in Phangnga.

La Liste uses a proprietary algorithm to assign scores out of 100 to hotels around the world. Cipriani in Venice topped the table with a score of 99.75. Scores were then ranked in descending order — 99.5, 99, 98.5, and so on. A total of 200 hotels received “top 10” scores of 95.5 or better, with multiple ties.

Capella Bangkok received a fifth-ranked score of 98, Mandarin Oriental Bangkok received a sixth-ranked score of 97.5, Amanpuri in Phuket scored 96 in ninth place, and Six Senses Yao Noi in Phangnga scored 95.5 in 10th place.

A total of 1,000 hotels worldwide were included in the ranking, including another 20 in Thailand, which all received scores of 90 or more, government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said on Wednesday.

The prime minister congratulated all 24 hotels for their good work and promised them full support from the government in terms of tourism promotion, Mr Anucha said.

The other 20 hotels are The Sukhothai Bangkok, Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, Rosewood Phuket, Anantara Siam Bangkok, The Standard Hua Hin, The Peninsula Bangkok, Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok, The Okura Prestige Bangkok, Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok, The Siam Hotel, Park Hyatt Bangkok, Six Senses Koh Samui, Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Anantara Chiang Mai Resort, Shangri-La Bangkok, Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, Chakrabongse Villas, The St Regis Bangkok, 137 Pillars Suites & Residences Bangkok and Sri Panwa Phuket.

The latest Hotel Business Operator Sentiment Index, jointly prepared by the Thai Hotels Association and the Bank of Thailand, shows that more than 47% of hotels in Thailand, especially five-star hotels in the South, reported that guests stayed longer on average in May than they did in the same period during the Covid-19 pandemic, said Mr Anucha.