Two civil society groups have called on the Senate to respect the choice of the majority who want the Move Forward Party’s (MFP) Pita Limjaroenrat to be prime minister.
The Rural Doctors Society (RDS) and the Law CU Student Committee, Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University (CU) yesterday voiced their stance supporting the MFP in leading a coalition government with Mr Pita as prime minister.
The MFP has gathered 310 MPs from five former opposition parties and one new party, and so still needs the support of 66 senators to meet the required 376 votes to endorse their choice of prime minister according to the constitution.
In a statement, the RDS said that all stakeholders must respect the people’s massive poll mandate by voting to support Mr Pita as the nation’s next prime minister.
RDS said it is the principle of democracy to listen to the majority’s voice.
“The RDS would like to call on the 250 senators to create real democracy by respecting the majority’s will and give their support to Mr Pita,” the statement said.
The Law CU Student Committee issued a similar statement calling for the senators to support Mr Pita as the prime minister and for all political parties to accept the people’s vote.
A party that wins the most seats in an election has the right to form the coalition government first, and it would be unacceptable if there are attempts by some parties to form a minority government, their statement read.