Senator told talks should continue
The United Thai Nation, Pheu Thai and Move Forward parties have all shrugged off a suggestion by Senator Jadet Insawang that all parties consider forming a national coalition in the event the country faces a new political crisis.
PM’s Office Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, in his capacity as deputy United Thai Nation Party (UTN) leader, said Sen Jadet had apparently gone too far even though his suggestion was intended to put the country’s best interests first.
The Move Forward Party (MFP) won with the highest number of House seats and is still working on the formation of a new coalition, so all sides should respect the party’s right to lead this effort, Mr Thanakorn said.
In the event the MFP fails to accomplish this, it will be more suitable to allow the Pheu Thai Party, which has the second-highest number of seats, to have a go rather than just switch to forming a national government, he said. Mr Thanakorn also denied rumours that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told UTN’s elected MPs he was confident the party would eventually be part of the new government, saying that was totally untrue.
The UTN only has 36 MPs and is now set to sit on the opposition benches, while Gen Prayut is a gentleman who always insisted that from now on, everything will have to be done in a democratic way, he said.
The MFP-led alliance has more than 300 House seats and should be supported by all sides in forming a government, Pheu Thai deputy leader, Phumtham Wechayachai, said.
Even if the alliance fails to do this, the parties will still have to ask their supporters what the ideal solution to the problem is in that case, he said.
Worawat Ua-apinyakul, an elected Pheu Thai MP for Phrae, ruled out the possibility of forming a national government, saying the matter should no longer be discussed.
MFP spokesman Rangsiman Rome said he was confident the MFP would form a coalition. Sen Jadet’s national government suggestion was his personal opinion, not that of the Senate, said Mr Rangsiman, adding that a number of senators have agreed to support the MFP and its leader.
Sen Jadet said he was aware his idea might not be necessary yet; but since forming a new government was taking longer than usual, it wouldn’t be a waste of time for all sides to begin preparing a way to ensure national reconciliation.