Politics
Thailand’s Parliament Blocks Progressive Winner of May Elections for Prime Minister
(CTN News) – significant upheavals and power struggles have marked Thailand’s political landscape. In May’s nationwide elections, the progressive Move Forward Party emerged as a strong opposition force, promising substantial structural reforms to the country’s military-backed rule.
However, their leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, has faced hurdles in becoming the Prime Minister due to accusations of violating election laws and resistance from the powerful conservative establishment, which includes the military, monarchy, and influential elites. As tensions escalate, the future of Thailand’s political direction remains uncertain.
The May elections saw a remarkable voter turnout, indicating widespread dissatisfaction with the military-backed establishment’s rule, which has persisted since the 2014 coup led by then-army chief Prayut Chan-o-cha.
The Move Forward Party’s platform, advocating reforms in the military, economy, decentralization of power, and even the monarchy, struck a chord with the electorate. This support allowed them to win the largest share of seats and led a coalition of opposition parties aiming to form a majority government.
Despite the party’s popularity, Pita Limjaroenrat’s nomination for Prime Minister was blocked twice by Thailand’s parliament. A complaint filed by the Election Commission accused him of violating election laws by allegedly holding shares in a media company. Pita has vehemently denied these accusations and accused the Election Commission of hastening the case’s court proceedings.
In the political system shaped by the previous junta, the formation of a government requires a majority in both the lower and upper houses of parliament, totaling 375 seats out of 749.
The establishment, including an unelected 250-member Senate appointed by the military, holds considerable sway in the parliamentary process, favoring pro-military candidates.
In his bid to become Prime Minister, Pita Limjaroenrat fell short of securing the required majority votes. This setback has fueled the frustrations of the Move Forward Party’s young and passionate support base, increasing the likelihood of mass street protests. The uncertainty of the situation raises concerns about the party’s future trajectory and the country’s stability.
Thailand’s conservative establishment has a history of resisting significant changes to the status quo, with the Constitutional Court frequently ruling in favor of the political elite.
The military has also intervened, toppling democratically elected governments during moments of instability, adding to the country’s history of successful coups.
As the investigation into Pita Limjaroenrat’s alleged election law violation continues, his status as a lawmaker hangs in the balance.
The situation has intensified divisions within Thai society and raised questions about the country’s political direction. With the Move Forward Party’s support base rallying behind them, Thailand may witness further political turbulence in its quest for change.
ORIGINAL STORY: Thailand to Hold Another PM Vote on July 27, Pita Excluded
Following the rejection of Pita Limjaroenrat’s re-nomination, a deputy speaker of the Thailand’s parliament announced that the next week’s vote for prime minister will exclude the leader of election victors Move Forward.
Pita Limjaroenrat’s denial by parliament during a protracted debate on his candidature on Wednesday sparked irate public protests as the post-election situation worsened two months after his party easily defeated opponents supported by the military.
In each parliamentary session, a candidate may only be nominated once, according to Deputy House Speaker Pichet Chuamuangphan, who spoke to the Bangkok Post on Thursday.
Pita, 42, who received her education in the US, has encountered fierce opposition from conservative and royalist elements who disagree with the party’s anti-establishment policies.
On Wednesday, the parliament voted to reject his second attempt to become prime minister, and the Constitutional Court suspended him from the legislature while it looked into claims that he had broken election law by owning stock in a media firm. Pita disputes violating election laws.
His followers are upset about the legal and legislative efforts taken against him.
A throng assembled in central Bangkok wearing black applauded a protestor who asked, “Why don’t you just choose it yourself if we have elections and this is all we get?” late on Wednesday.
At least two million people used the protest’s hashtag on Twitter.
Since July 14, the day after Pita’s initial denial by parliament, Thailand’s major stock index has increased by around 2.6%, and the baht has risen by 1.7% against the dollar.
Between July 14 and July 19, foreign investors purchased Thai bonds and shares for 15.8 billion baht (S$615 million).
Thailand’s Pheu Thai Coalition
It is anticipated that Srettha Thavisin, a real estate magnate and political neophyte from the second-place Pheu Thai party, a member of Pita’s eight-party coalition, will be chosen for premier next week.
In an effort to draw attention to what they believe are unfair regulations that favour the election victors, activists are organizing additional events and asking attendees to wear black.
Any candidate for prime minister must receive at least 375 votes from a joint session of the bicameral legislature, which consists of the elected 500-member lower house and the 249-member senate selected by the junta.
Demonstrators have demanded that the senators step down and that Pita’s eight-party coalition remain united and uphold election commitments.
Rejecting Pita’s renomination unconstitutional
The resolution passed by parliament on Wednesday to reject the renomination of Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat as prime minister was deemed unlawful by former charter drafting chairman Borwornsak Uwanno.
The legal professional expressed his expectation that the Constitutional Court would receive a petition to promptly give a decision.
“Even though the charter clearly stipulates the prime ministerial election, using a parliamentary session regulation has crippled the constitution. On Thursday, he posted on his Facebook page, “It’s a shame for Thailand.
The now-defunct Constitution Drafting Committee’s former head, Mr. Borwornsak, expressed his disappointment with the MPs who voted against Mr. Pita’s re-nomination.
Even though you are in opposition, he added, “you should know when to stop being in opposition to do the right thing.”
The interpretation of the parliament, he said, was not definitive. Anyone who believed that their rights had been violated could file a complaint with the Ombudsman alleging that the parliamentary resolution, which constituted a legislative action, violated Section 213 of the constitution. The harmed party could directly petition the court if the Ombudsman did not refer the petition to the Constitutional Court for adjudication.
The constitutional law expert added, “I shall wait to see if parliament’s action violated the constitution.
“I’ll wait to see what the Constitutional Court decides. For thirty years, I have been instructing constitutional law. I now have to decide whether to keep teaching or not.
As of Thursday at 4 p.m., his post had 8,100 shares, indicating a large online audience.
Following a vote on Wednesday to reject Mr. Pita’s candidature on the grounds that parliamentary session regulation No. 41 forbade the resubmission of a defeated motion within the same parliamentary session, Mr. Borwornsak made his remarks.
After 715 lawmakers cast their votes electronically about 5.10 p.m., parliament president Wan Muhamad Noor Matha made the news. A total of 394 lawmakers, the majority of them unelected senators, voted against Mr. Pita’s re-nomination, 312 lawmakers voted in favour of it, eight lawmakers abstained, and one legislator did not cast a ballot.
On Tuesday, Mr. Pita acknowledged that he was concerned that any attempts to utilise parliamentary procedure to prevent him from being nominated a second time would have a negative impact on the entire system because they would be politically binding and might have an impact on other parties. Every prime ministerial contender would now only have one chance to win a majority vote in the future.
On Thursday, the Move Forward Party declared that it thought it had a strong enough legal argument to renominate Mr. Pita for the upcoming vote on July 27.
An outspoken former election commissioner named Somchai Srisutthiyakorn also used Facebook on Thursday to demonstrate how the parliament’s reading of the one-and-done rule may be applied to its logical conclusion.
The opposition side “may as well nominate Prawit, Anutin, Prayut, Jurin and others in the next session until their votes are divided, making all the candidates fail,” he added. “If a person can only be nominated for the prime minister’s post once.
These people wouldn’t be qualified to serve as prime minister. They will disappear.
