By Thai Newsroom Reporters
UP TO HALF THE TOTAL of 250 senators would likely endorse Palang Pracharath leader Prawit Wongsuwan for prime minister after the next general election, said a source closely connected with senior legislators.
No matter whether Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha might possibly succeed in retaining power after the nationwide election under the Ruam Thai Sang Chart tickets, about half the total of the senators have remained staunchly loyal to Prawit and already made up their mind to vote for the Palang Pracharath boss who would be named the sole partisan contestant for prime minister, said the source who only spoke on condition that he not be identified.
His comments were made in response to speculation that the pro-Prayut party would try to recruit current and former MPs into their brand-new camp by untruthfully claiming that all the 250 senators would only pick the current premier and nobody else for head of a post-election government.
Though the unelected senators may have earlier cast their votes as a bloc at parliament over various legislations and motions, they would likely be divided when it comes to voting for prime minister later this year, confirmed the source personally associated with the senators.
Given one half the total of the senators being likely to support the Palang Pracharath boss for prime minister, the other half might probably pick Prayut instead, the source said.
A contesting party is legally obliged to get a minimum of 5% of the total 500 elected MPs, accounting for 25, to name a partisan candidate for prime minister.
Thammasat University law lecturer Prinya Thaewanarumitkul said either Prawit or Prayut might probably offer to call off his vying for prime minister to give way for the other one to be finally voted for the top post of government by MPs and senators in a joint House/Senate meeting.
On the other hand, the Thammasat law lecturer said, the Palang Pracharath might possibly join hands with the Pheu Thai and set up a coalition government of their own without the Ruam Thai Sang Chart as coalition partner.
The Pheu Thai, guided by de facto party boss Thaksin Shinawatra, will almost certainly reject alliance with the pro-Prayut party whilst Prawit’s camp could probably offer to join hands with either one and set up a coalition, the academic said.
Prawit who concurrently acts as deputy prime minister is invariably regarded as kingmaker who had managed to make Prayut head of a Palang Pracharath-led coalition government after the 2019 election.
The Palang Pracharath boss has pledged to see to it that his ruling party will again become core of a coalition government after the next race to parliament.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Thai parliament meeting chamber. Photo: INN News
Front Page: The Election Commission logo overlaid on an image of some ballot boxes. Photo: Naewna
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