By Thai Newsroom Reporters
A NINE-YEAR-OLD PRAYUT REGIME is definitely coming to an end since most people do not wish to see caretaker prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha running the country anymore, confirmed an academic today (May 5).
Rangsit University political scientist Thamrongsak Petlertanand said no less than 80% of prospective voters nationwide have been found in recent polls to anticipate an end to the military-led regime since Prayut who is contesting to retain power under the Ruam Thai Sang Chart tickets staged the 2014 coup as army chief.
Thamrongsak cited the polls as saying as many as 82.5% of the respondents have ultimately expressed opposition to the possible setting up of a minority government to prolong the Prayut regime, albeit given overwhelming support from 250 senators.
“Prayut is being simply advised to learn to get enough, given the circumstances under which most people throughout the country have had enough of his Khor Sor Chor regime and they are now looking for change in government,” the political scientist said, referring to the Prayut-led coup junta.
Prayut is more or less believed to contemplate forming a minority government with a minimum of 126 elected MPs plus a loyal army of 250 unelected senators to barely secure a majority of votes for his being named head of a post-election government.
Prayut who is running to prolong his rule with a minority government will need supportive votes from more than half the total of MPs and senators combined or at least 376 votes to take the helm of government after the May 14 election.
It remains to be seen how many MPs the Pheu Thai and Move Forward will combinedly have in bid to name a partisan contestant for prime minister in competition with Prayut who will likely be endorsed by most senators, according to the Rangsit academic.
Though the Pheu Thai is largely speculated to get most of the total 500 MP seats in addition to those to be won by the Move Forward in the May 14 election, both liberal parties could probably not secure the decisive 376 votes unless a few other camps such as the Palang Pracharath, headed by Prawit Wongsuwan, might possibly join a Pheu Thai-led coalition.
Move Forward MPs might probably endorse a Pheu Thai partisan candidate for prime minister but choose to not join a Pheu Thai-led coalition government and instead become part of an opposition bloc at parliament, according to partisan sources.
Move Forward Pita Limjaroenrat whose popularity for prime minister after the nationwide election has exponentially risen over that of Pheu Thai candidates Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of de facto party boss/deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. and Settha Taweesin, personally close to deposed prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, has earlier said his party has been ideologically opposed to military regimes and will certainly not join ranks with the likes of the pro-military Palang Pracharath or Ruam Thai Sang Chart.
Nevertheless, according to Pita, the Move Forward MPs may join an alliance of anti-Prayut MPs to endorse the naming of one of a trio of the Pheu Thai partisan contestants for prime minister to literally outvote the pro-Prayut senators.
The coup junta-designed constitution empowers the unelected senators to cast votes for head of a post-election government alongside the elected lawmakers.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Some of the prime ministerial candidates in the upcoming general election (clockwise, from top left): Prayut Chan-o-cha, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Pita Limjaroenrat, Jurin Laksanawisit, Anutin Charnvirakul and Prawit Wongsuwon. Photo: Respective political parties and published by CNA
Front Page: Caretaker prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha campaigning this week. Photo: Matichon
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