By Thai Newsroom Reporters
A MOVE FORWARD-LED coalition government will remain intact even if dozens of their MP-designates may have been involved in alleged electoral rigging or vote-buying in the May 14 election, said Pheu Thai secretary-general Prasert Chanthararuangthong today (June 4).
Though an estimated 20 MP-designates who have contested the general election in constituency-mode under the Move Forward or Pheu Thai banners might possibly be alleged of involvement in electoral rigging or vote-buying, the Move-Forward-led coalition will still have nearly 300 MP-designates left on their side, Prasert said.
Given a current, combined force of 312 MP-designates, the eight coalition partners with intent to name Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat for prime minister will undoubtedly remain intact, the Pheu Thai secretary-general said.
His comments followed those recently made by Election Commission chairman Itthiporn Boonprakhong that some 20 winning candidates attached to the Move Forward-led coalition may have been involved in electoral wrongdoings as alleged in petitions filed with the polling agency.
Itthiporn confirmed that a minimum of 95% of all 500 MP-designates will be verified sooner than a 60-day schedule provided by law or prior to July 13 though the polling agency is currently looking into those allegations and seeing to it that justice will be served.
If those MP-designates are finally found guilty as alleged, a by-election in specific constituencies or a revoting by constituents who have earlier cast their votes or a recounting of the ballots on which votes have already been cast will take place in near future, according to the polling agency’s chairman.
The Move Forward-led coalition is patiently awaiting the polling agency’s verification of the MP-designates so that the House of Representatives could open to pick a House Speaker from among the elected legislators and to be followed in the course of a one-week time by the naming of a prime minister for whom yea votes from more than half the combined total of 500 MPs and 250 senators or at least 376 votes will be needed.
The long-awaited voting for head of a post-election government could possibly be held in a joint House/Senate session as late as the middle of August, given the polling agency’s slow pace over the investigation into the alleged electoral wrongdoings.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Move Forward leader and prime minister candidate Pita Limjaroenrat with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s daughter and Pheu Thai candidate for prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra attending Bangkok Pride 2023 event at Pathumwan intersection today, June 4, 2023. Photo: Thai Rath
Insert: Pheu Thai Secretary-General Prasert Chanthararuangthong. Photo: Thai Rath
Front Page: Move Forward leader and prime minister candidate Pita Limjaroenrat with Pheu Thai leader Chonlanan Srikaew at a recently meeting. Photo: Matichon
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