Rules bar opposition MPs from post, but party believes it has a solution
Deputy House Speaker Padipat Suntiphada will remain in his current role even though the Move Forward Party (MFP) has shifted to the opposition, a senior party member said on Thursday.
Questions have been raised about whether Mr Padipat would be stepping down given his party’s shift in status following the appointment of Srettha Thavisin from the Pheu Thai Party as prime minister.
Move Forward won the most seats in the May 14 election but was unable to get its leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, elected as prime minister in parliament. It then asked its erstwhile partner Pheu Thai to attempt to form a government, and Pheu Thai said that would be impossible as long as Move Forward remained in the coalition.
Under Section 106 of the constitution, the opposition leader will be appointed from the biggest party in that camp. MPs from that party must not serve as cabinet ministers or as a speaker or deputy.
If Mr Padipat remains in the deputy speaker post, his party, which commands the largest number of seats at 151, cannot legally lead the opposition camp, said MFP deputy secretary-general Nattacha Boonchai-insawat.
Section 106 puts the party in an awkward position but Mr Padipat was elected by MPs, so the party will support him in this role, said Mr Nattacha.
“We won the general election but we were blocked from taking the House Speaker post, denied the prime minister post and booted out from the coalition,” he said.
“We want to work in the opposition but there are still restrictions. We’ll support Mr Padipat as deputy House speaker, so we can’t really call ourselves the (lead) opposition.”
He said the post of opposition leader is likely to be left vacant unless circumstances change.
Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat, who was expected to assume the role of opposition leader, is currently suspended from his MP duties by the Constitutional Court pending its ruling on his media shareholding case, and the party has no plan to change its leader, Mr Nattacha said.
The charter court this week gave Mr Pita an additional 30 days to submit supporting evidence in the case, which involves his holding of 42,000 shares in the long-defunct broadcaster iTV that were in the estate of his late father.
Mr Nattacha said the opposition leadership role cannot be passed on to the Democrat Party, which has just 25 MPs.
Questions have been raised about whether the Democrats will remain in opposition after 16 of their MPs voted in support of Mr Srettha on Tuesday. However, those MPs on Thursday defended their stand and said they had no desire to join the government.
Mr Padipat on Thursday denied reports that he had handed in his resignation, saying he can remain impartial but would accept the party’s decision whether he should stay or go.
Fair Party secretary-general and list-MP Kannawee Suebsang said his party is ready to work with Move Forward in pushing for key draft laws and scrutinising the government, as well as working with the civil sector.
He said the party has already proposed a motion to set up an extraordinary committee to review problems in the restive South and work on refugee issues.
When asked if the MFP should take the deputy House speaker post or the opposition leader role, Mr Kannawee said this was Move Forward’s decision to make.
Move Forward MPs on Thursday proposed 10 draft laws to the House covering tax reform, land reform, labour rights, welfare protection and fisheries.
List-MP Parit Wacharasindhu said the party would not only keep the government in check but also try to drive change by improving and enacting laws.