No Bhumjaithai MPs lobbied to back Pita

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

MOVE FORWARD LEADER/PRIME minister-designate Pita Limjaroenrat today (July 10) categorically dismissed hearsay that any Bhumjaithai MPs had been lobbied to join a majority of elected legislators to endorse his rise to power.

Pita said he found such rumours utterly groundless though some people would probably prefer to see any of the 71 Bhumjaithai MPs cast yea votes for him alongside those lawmakers attached to the Move Forward-led, eight coalition partners.

The Bhumjaithai under de facto boss Newin Chidchob has become the third largest elected party in last May’s general election after the Move Forward as the No.1 largest elected party and the Pheu Thai as the second largest camp.

Pita is needing a minimum of 376 yea votes to land him the elected premiership as required by law. Given the combined force of 312 coalition MPs readily on his side, the prime minister-designate is needing at least 64 more yea votes from non-coalition MPs and senators.

A dozen Palang Pracharath MPs loyal to Sam Mit Group leaders Somsak Thepsuthin and Suriya Juangroongruangkit who hopped over from the conservative camp to the Pheu Thai under whose tickets they contested the May 14 election are expected to join the pro-Pita voters on the upcoming Thursday.

A decisive number of senators are more or less anticipated to jump onto the bandwagon of the majority of MPs to vote him for prime minister during Thursday’s joint House/Senate meeting.

Pita confirmed that he and his partisan colleagues have given an undisclosed number of senators truthful explanations about their campaign-pledged policy to amend the disputable, draconian lese majeste law whilst both sides may share unfaltering intentions to protect the constitutional monarchy from being politically exploited.

He said many Move Forward MPs and senators have expressed common views toward many of the country’s major social and economic issues which are yet to be handled by a Move Forward-led coalition government.

CAPTION:

An image of Move Forward leader/prime minister-designate Pita Limjaroenrat overlaid on a photo of the Thai Parliament meeting chamber.

Pita Limjaroenrat talking to reporters today, July 10, 2023. Both photos: Thai Rath

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