BANGKOK: The Pheu Thai Party, which won the second highest number of seats in Thailand’s General Election, has announced an alliance with seven parties including Bhumjaithai Party in an attempt to break the political deadlock to form a government.
The six new parties that joined the alliance are Prachachat Party which won nine seats, Chart Pattana Kla Party (two seats), Pue Thai Rumphlang Party (two seats), Thai Liberal Party, Plung Sungkom Mai Party, and Party of the Thai Countries (each with one seat).
Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai Party won 141 and 71 seats, respectively, in the May 14 general election. With the addition of support from smaller parties today, the coalition added 16 Members of Parliament (MP) to its fold, raising the number to 228 MPs in the 500-member House of Representatives.
Pheu Thai Party leader Cholnan Srikaew said the coalition is hopeful to ease political tension in the country.
“We urge both MPs in the House of Representatives and Senate to elect Pheu Thai’s prime ministerial candidate and form a government that is capable of managing the country and solving the people’s problems,” he said at a press conference today.
He added that all stakeholders must unite and put aside their differences in order to build a better future for the country, ease the people’s suffering, and create unity and reconciliation.
Meanwhile, Cholnan said Pheu Thai has not invited the Democrat Party, Palang Pracharath, or United Thai Nation (UTN) to join the coalition yet. However, he hoped the MPs would vote for Pheu Thai’s candidate for prime minister.
The Pheu Thai coalition secured 228 seats, which is not enough for a House majority of 251. However, it could be supplemented by 250 Senate votes. A prime ministerial candidate needs at least 375 votes to form a government in the 750-member bicameral parliament.
Pheu Thai is expected to nominate real estate tycoon Srettha Thavisin for prime minister.
After the general election, MFP and Pheu Thai formed a coalition with six other parties, collectively securing 312 seats of the 500-seat House of Representatives. However, during the parliament vote on July 13, MFP’s leader Pita Limjaroenrat failed to muster enough support to be elected as the new prime minister.
A procedural vote six days later ruled that he could not be nominated a second time, ending Pita’s quest to be prime minister. Following this, Pheu Thai took over the responsibility to lead the coalition. However, the coalition collapsed on August 2 after Pheu Thai’s announcement that it would seek a new coalition excluding MFP.
MFP’s plan to amend laws that criminalise royal insult, particularly Article 112 of the criminal code or lese-majeste, was a major factor in its loss of the bid to form a government.-Bernama
