Puttan Decides to Dissolve Lower House, Reportedly Rejected by Privy Council

After the largest opposition party, the People’s Party, announced its support for the Bhumjaithai Party, acting Prime Minister Puttan, belonging to Pheu Thai, decided to dissolve the lower house.

Pheu Thai Party secretary-general Soraowong told AFP on the 3rd that acting Prime Minister Puttan "has already submitted the royal decree to dissolve parliament."

However, according to Thai local media reports, the royal decree submitted by Puttan to dissolve parliament was returned by the Privy Council on judicial grounds.

The related royal decree to dissolve parliament was submitted on the 2nd seeking the King of Thailand’s approval, but there was widespread suspicion as to whether the acting prime minister had the authority to dissolve parliament.

According to reports, government insiders revealed that the Cabinet Secretariat received a letter from the Privy Council around 2:30 p.m. on the 3rd.

The letter also stated that, based on the legal opinion of the Secretary-General of the Council of State, Thailand’s legal advisory body, a caretaker government does not have the authority to submit a royal decree to dissolve parliament.

On the 3rd, when asked by the media about the incident, acting Prime Minister Puttan smiled and waved, saying: "I'm leaving, I'm leaving."

Earlier, he revealed that the People’s Party was playing the role of “kingmaker,” reflecting that the democratic system had been distorted, and as the People’s Party would not join the future ruling coalition, the Bhumjaithai Party would ultimately lead a minority government.

He pointed out that the lack of a stable government would affect people’s confidence in the country, and the Pheu Thai Party believed returning power to the people would serve the national interest.

In addition, local media reported that the Thai parliament had decided to hold a vote for the new prime minister on the 5th.

After former Thai prime minister Paetongtarn was dismissed for violating the constitution, Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai—who had withdrawn from the former coalition—each nominated a candidate for prime minister. Pheu Thai’s new prime ministerial candidate is former Justice Minister Chaikasan, while Bhumjaithai’s candidate is former Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin.

The People’s Party, which holds as many as 143 seats in parliament, announced on the 3rd that it will support the Bhumjaithai Party, on the condition that the lower house will be dissolved and a snap election held within four months.

People’s Party leader Natthapong held a press conference announcing support for Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin for prime minister, but said it would not join the future ruling coalition.

He stated that since the exposure of the phone call recording between Paetongtarn and former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen, the People’s Party has consistently reiterated that the best solution is to return power to the people and let a new election decide the country’s future.

He pointed out that until today, the government that has the power to dissolve parliament remains ambiguous in its attitude, tries to cling to power, does not admit its failure of governance, and the people can no longer trust this government to lead the country.

Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin held a press conference at parliament on the 3rd to explain matters regarding the formation of the government.

He stated that during the process of forming the government, Bhumjaithai Party and 146 attending MPs have submitted their list and promised the People’s Party to support it for the premiership, and forming the government will also follow the suggestions of the People’s Party. All relevant parliamentarians have signed a commitment document, which will be compiled and submitted to the People’s Party leadership for archiving.

He said: "The formation of the government will follow the provisions of Thailand’s constitution, and the related procedures will be carried out by the Speaker of the House and the MPs. From this moment, the MPs will handle matters according to constitutional procedure. I would like to state that Bhumjaithai Party and the 146 MPs present fully understand that the formation of the future government is due to the cooperation and sacrifice of the People’s Party, providing crucial support to Thailand amid the current multiple crises—be they political, economic, social, security or natural disasters."

He stated: "I hereby solemnly pledge that none of us here will betray everyone’s wishes or spirit of sacrifice. We will strictly abide by the five conditions previously promised to the People’s Party, and fulfill our commitments within four months of forming the government. At the same time, we will maintain the status of a minority government and allow the people to serve as the force supervising our work. During this four-month administration, we will do everything in our power to fulfill our duties and repay everyone’s trust and the opportunity given to us."