By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE PHEU THAI RANK AND FILE have made an aboutface to insist the House Speaker seat be given to their party though an earlier agreement had been reached to leave it to the Move Forward.
Pheu Thai leader Chonlanan Srikaew today (June 28) confirmed that the party’s executive board members and most Pheu Thai MPs have finally resolved to take the House Speaker seat and advised the party’s negotiators to say so in a further discussion with the Move Forward counterparts.
The talks between the Move Forward/Pheu Thai negotiators over the House Speaker seat, earlier scheduled for today, have been indefinitely postponed, pending that to be promptly held among the Move Forward executive board members and Move Forward MPs due to the latest Pheu Thai change of stance toward the top post of the legislative branch.
The Pheu Thai negotiators including de facto party boss Thaksin Shinawatra’s right-hand man Bhumtham Wechayachai had earlier agreed to give the House Speaker seat to the Move Forward in exchange for a couple of Deputy House Speaker posts to be both assumed by the Pheu Thai.
Nonetheless, the Move Forward and Pheu Thai are yet to decide to leave the House Speaker seat to either one of them before the first House meeting to pick the head of the legislative branch is held on July 4.
According to the second largest party’s leader, the Pheu Thai MPs will certainly vote Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat for prime minister and stay as one of the eight coalition partners led by the Move Forward as the largest elected party.
Chonlanan maintained that the Pheu Thai deserves the top post of the legislative branch since that of the executive branch has already been given to the Move Forward leader.
If the Pheu Thai finally talked the Move Forward into giving up the post of House Speaker, it remains to be seen who among the Pheu Thai MPs would be named to the position whilst Pita’s camp has already chosen to name Move Forward MP Padipat Santipada for the post.
Whilst both parties are yet to settle sooner than later between themselves over the House Speaker post, another partisan contender might probably be named by a non-coalition party, namely the Bhumjaithai or Palang Pracharath, in sheer competition with either the Move Forward or Pheu Thai candidate.
The Bhumjaithai under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob, Palang Pracharath led by Prawit Wongsuwan and Ruam Thai Sang Chart under de facto party boss Prayut Chan-o-cha will certainly stay in an opposition bloc at parliament as an aftermath of their defeats in the May 14 nationwide election.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Images of Move Forward leader/prime minister-designate Pita Limjaroenrat, right, and Pheu Thai leader Chonlanan Srikaew overlaid over Parliament meeting chamber. Photo: Thai Rath
Insert: Move Forward MP Padipat Santipada. Photo: Thai Rath
Front Page: Move Forward leader/prime minister-designate Pita Limjaroenrat, left, and Pheu Thai leader Chonlanan Srikaew at a meeting earlier this month. Photo: Matichon
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