Deputy speaker says Pita’s PM bid over as Thailand braces for more turmoil
- Deputy House Speaker Pichet Chuamuangphan said election-winning Move Forward’s leader Pita Limjaroenrat will not be included in next week’s third vote for a premier
- Property tycoon Srettha Thavisin from the runner-up Pheu Thai party is likely to be nominated for prime minister as kingdom faces more political upheaval
Parliament’s move to deny Pita Limjaroenrat after a marathon debate on his eligibility on Wednesday triggered angry street protests, as a post-election crisis deepens two months after his party trounced military-backed rivals in an election.
“A candidate can only be nominated once in each parliamentary session,” Deputy House Speaker Pichet Chuamuangphan said on Thursday.
The US-educated Pita, 42, has faced tough resistance from conservative and royalist forces that clash with the party’s anti-establishment policies.
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Legislative and judicial actions against him have drawn anger from his supporters.
“If we have elections and this is all we get, why don’t you just choose it yourself,” a protester said late on Wednesday drawing applause from a crowd gathered in central Bangkok wearing black.
A Twitter hashtag from the protest was used at least 2 million times.
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Thailand’s Pita to withdraw if he loses next vote for prime minister
Thailand’s main stock index has climbed about 2.6 per cent since July 14, the day after Pita was first denied by parliament, while the baht has strengthened by 1.7 per cent against the dollar.
Foreign investors bought 15.8 billion baht (US$465.53 million) net of Thai shares and bonds during July 14-19.
Next week, it is widely expected that real estate tycoon and political newcomer Srettha Thavisin from the runner-up Pheu Thai party, part of Pita’s eight-party alliance, will be nominated for premier.
Activists are planning more gatherings and have asked people to wear black to protest what they see as rules stacked against the election winners.
Thai caretaker Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who took power in a 2014 coup, called for calm on Thursday.
Prayuth said he “understood” the frustration of Pita’s supporters.
But he also implored the public to “move Thailand forward in a democratic way alongside the monarchy,” Prayuth’s spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said.
“The expressions of opinion and political activities need to be peaceful, without violence, and without destroying the economy, trade and investment.”
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The military-drafted constitution favours conservative parties, requiring any prime ministerial candidate to secure at least 375 votes from a joint sitting of the bicameral legislature including the junta-appointed 249-member senate and an elected 500-member lower house.
Protesters have called on the senators to resign and that Pita’s coalition to stick together and uphold election promises.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
