(CTN NEWS) – On Friday, the 4th of August, the Thai Parliament president has summoned a joint meeting of the Houses of Representatives and the Senate.
The purpose of this gathering is to elect a new prime minister for Thailand, provided that the Constitutional Court dismisses a petition challenging a parliamentary vote.
This vote had initially blocked the renomination of Move Forward Party leader, Pita Limjaroenrat.
Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, the esteemed speaker of the House of Representatives and the current Parliament president, made an announcement on Thursday, the 27th of July.
He emphasized that if the Constitutional Court decides to hear and grant an injunction for the petition presented by the Ombudsman’s Office, the election of the prime minister would unavoidably face further postponement.
In the event of such a delay, the joint meeting of both Houses, scheduled for August 4th, would then meticulously deliberate a bill aimed at amending Article 272 of the Constitution.
This bill, thoughtfully submitted by the Move Forward Party, seeks to remove Article 272, which presently grants the Senate the power to participate in the selection of Thailand’s prime minister.
Since May 2019, the Senate has been endowed with this authority, which will be effective for five years, culminating in May 2024.
Thailand’s House and Senate Reject Pita as Prime Minister
This power, vested in the unelected senators, has been heavily criticized, as it led to Pita‘s inability to garner sufficient parliamentary support, amassing only 13 votes out of the 250-member Senate.
The Constitutional Court’s esteemed judges have scheduled a meeting on the 3rd of August to ponder over the acceptance of the petition brought forth by the Ombudsman’s Office.
Wan Noor, demonstrating wisdom in his approach, has decided against calling the next parliamentary meeting on the same day. He seeks to await the court’s decision before proceeding further.
Moreover, he faces a logistical challenge due to the six-day public holiday spanning from Friday to next Wednesday. As such, he must judiciously issue a meeting appointment for the parliamentarians on the first working day that follows, which happens to be a Thursday.
Notably, the House speaker, along with a group of Thai MPs and senators, is set to embark on a journey to Indonesia from the 5th to the 10th of August. Their purpose is to participate in a meeting of parliamentarians from the ASEAN region.
Addressing media speculations concerning former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s potential return to Thailand on the 10th of August, Wan Noor remains steadfast that this event will have no bearing on the process and schedule of Parliament’s selection of a new prime minister. pita
He unequivocally states that there is no connection between the two.
In the upcoming parliamentary meeting, it is expected that a prime ministerial candidate from the Pheu Thai Party will be nominated for the election.
After Pita’s unsuccessful attempt to secure majority support, Move Forward gracefully stepped aside, allowing Pheu Thai to take the lead in the coalition’s endeavor to form the next government.
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