By Thai Newsroom Reporters
MOVE FORWARD LEADER Pita Limjaroenrat was today (July 19) denied a second chance to be named and voted prime minister whilst being suspended by court from performing as MP.
Today’s joint House/Senate meeting voted 395 against 312 to deny Pita the second chance for elected premiership after he had failed to make it at the first go last week.
After a seven-hours-and-a-half debate, the majority of lawmakers cast their votes to turn down the renewed bid for Pita to rise to power despite results of the May 14 general election which saw his Move Forward become the No.1 largest elected party and core of eight coalition partners.
It remains to be seen who may be named and voted prime minister in next week’s joint House/Senate session, given the likelihood of Pheu Thai prime-ministerial candidate Settha Taweesin and Palang Pracharath leader Prawit Wongsuwan being given the post-Pita chance.
If Prawit was eventually voted prime minister, given overwhelming support from the senators all of whom he himself had handpicked, the Pheu Thai under de facto party boss Thaksin Shinawatra might probably be prompted to leave the Move Forward-led coalition for Prawit’s bloc to turn it around from a minority government to a majority one.
In the meantime, the Constitutional Court today ordered the Move Forward leader to stop performing as MP pending a court ruling on a petition filed against him by the Election Commission for unlawfully holding a 00.0035% share in a non-operating ITV channel.
A number of legislators clapped their hands to cheer up the suspended MP as he was stepping out of the parliament chamber, raising his clenched fist.
CAPTION:
Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat raising his clenched fist as he left the parliament meeting chamber after the Constitutional Court’s letter arrived. Top photo:Thai Rath, Front Page photo: Matichon
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