(Bangkok, 1st) Thailand’s opposition and largest party in parliament, the People’s Party, is being actively courted by both major camps. On Monday, the People’s Party will hold a high-level meeting to decide which side to support in forming a new government.
After Pheu Thai Party’s former prime minister candidate Paetongtarn was dismissed by the Constitutional Court on Friday (August 29), the new prime minister must win a majority in the House of Representatives, that is, at least 247 votes. As the People’s Party holds 143 seats, it has become the key target for both Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai to seek support.
The acting prime minister of Pheu Thai, Phontam, along with other party leaders and members of the ruling alliance including the Democrat Party and the National Party, arrived at the People’s Party headquarters at 2 pm (3 pm Singapore time) on Sunday (31st) to discuss the proposal for forming a government.
The meeting between the two parties lasted about an hour. Afterwards, Phontam held a press conference, stating that the current political crisis requires joint resolution by multiple parties. As such, the ruling alliance has agreed to all conditions put forward by the People’s Party, including the constitutional referendum they have long advocated, and holding a new election within four months after the new government announces its policy guidelines to parliament.
He said: “If the process goes smoothly, we could even dissolve parliament ahead of schedule.”
He also mentioned that the ruling alliance has also submitted some proposals to the People’s Party for their consideration. The Pheu Thai Party also pledged to cooperate with the People’s Party and other parties to speed up the investigation of the Senate vote-buying case and the Khao Kradong land dispute, both of which involve key figures in the Bhumjaithai Party.
The People’s Party did not declare on that day whether it would support Pheu Thai in forming a new government. The People’s Party had previously announced that its leaders would meet on Monday (September 1) to discuss the conditions proposed by the various camps before making a decision.
Bhumjaithai’s leader Anutin had already personally visited the People’s Party headquarters on Friday, the night Paetongtarn was dismissed, and claimed to have secured the People’s Party’s support.
However, on Saturday (30th), People’s Party leader Nathaphon emphasized that the party had not yet made a final decision and that the various “leaks” were merely attempts to seize the initiative in public opinion and bargaining chips in negotiations.
He also said that all decisions by the People’s Party are based on the national interest as the highest priority and not for political gain.
There is speculation that if they fail to secure People’s Party support, Pheu Thai or Bhumjaithai might instead nominate former prime minister Prayut, currently a candidate for the prime ministership from the Thai People’s Nation Building Party. Nathaphon, however, asserted categorically that the People’s Party “will absolutely not vote in support.”
In order to win People’s Party support, both Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai have claimed they can accept all of the People’s Party’s conditions, but Pravit, a political science lecturer at Thailand’s National Institute of Development Administration, believes this is only rhetoric to win the People’s Party over and that the promises may be broken in the future.
The Thai House of Representatives has a total of 492 seats. The largest party is the People’s Party with 143 seats, followed by Pheu Thai with 130 seats and Bhumjaithai with 69 seats.
Pheu Thai’s new nominee for prime minister will be former justice minister Chaiyachat, while Bhumjaithai’s candidate will be former deputy prime minister and interior minister Anutin.
On Sunday afternoon, about 200 people gathered at Victory Monument in Bangkok to protest Pheu Thai’s continued rule, chanting, “The new prime minister must not be from Pheu Thai.”
The acting prime minister of Pheu Thai, Phontam, along with other party leaders and members of the ruling alliance including the Democrat Party and the National Party, arrived at the People’s Party headquarters at 2 pm (3 pm Singapore time) on Sunday (31st) to discuss the proposal for forming a government.
The meeting between the two parties lasted about an hour. Afterwards, Phontam held a press conference, stating that the current political crisis requires joint resolution by multiple parties. As such, the ruling alliance has agreed to all conditions put forward by the People’s Party, including the constitutional referendum they have long advocated, and holding a new election within four months after the new government announces its policy guidelines to parliament.
He said: “If the process goes smoothly, we could even dissolve parliament ahead of schedule.”
He also mentioned that the ruling alliance has also submitted some proposals to the People’s Party for their consideration. The Pheu Thai Party also pledged to cooperate with the People’s Party and other parties to speed up the investigation of the Senate vote-buying case and the Khao Kradong land dispute, both of which involve key figures in the Bhumjaithai Party.
The People’s Party did not declare on that day whether it would support Pheu Thai in forming a new government. The People’s Party had previously announced that its leaders would meet on Monday (September 1) to discuss the conditions proposed by the various camps before making a decision.
Bhumjaithai’s leader Anutin had already personally visited the People’s Party headquarters on Friday, the night Paetongtarn was dismissed, and claimed to have secured the People’s Party’s support.
However, on Saturday (30th), People’s Party leader Nathaphon emphasized that the party had not yet made a final decision and that the various “leaks” were merely attempts to seize the initiative in public opinion and bargaining chips in negotiations.
He also said that all decisions by the People’s Party are based on the national interest as the highest priority and not for political gain.
There is speculation that if they fail to secure People’s Party support, Pheu Thai or Bhumjaithai might instead nominate former prime minister Prayut, currently a candidate for the prime ministership from the Thai People’s Nation Building Party. Nathaphon, however, asserted categorically that the People’s Party “will absolutely not vote in support.”
In order to win People’s Party support, both Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai have claimed they can accept all of the People’s Party’s conditions, but Pravit, a political science lecturer at Thailand’s National Institute of Development Administration, believes this is only rhetoric to win the People’s Party over and that the promises may be broken in the future.
The Thai House of Representatives has a total of 492 seats. The largest party is the People’s Party with 143 seats, followed by Pheu Thai with 130 seats and Bhumjaithai with 69 seats.
Pheu Thai’s new nominee for prime minister will be former justice minister Chaiyachat, while Bhumjaithai’s candidate will be former deputy prime minister and interior minister Anutin.
On Sunday afternoon, about 200 people gathered at Victory Monument in Bangkok to protest Pheu Thai’s continued rule, chanting, “The new prime minister must not be from Pheu Thai.”