By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE MOVE FORWARD TODAY (July 21) conceded roles of a coalition core to the Pheu Thai, giving up on concerted bids to name Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat for prime minister.
Move Forward secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon expressed apologies to majority voters in the May 14 election for having failed to make Pita the country’s 30th prime minister and admitted the No.1 largest elected party has had to back down as core of the eight coalition partners which is now being played by the Pheu Thai as the second largest party.
Real estate tycoon Srettha Thavisin will very likely be named prime minister under the Pheu Thai banners in next Thursday’s joint House/Senate meeting. Srettha is largely known as personally close to deposed prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of de facto Pheu Thai boss/deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra whose daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra has earlier offered to give way for the real estate tycoon’s attempted rise to power.
Nevertheless, Chaithawat reassured that the now-Pheu Thai-lead coalition partners have jointly resolved to keep the military regime under caretaker prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha from retaining power after the nationwide election.
The Move Forward secretary-general declined to confirm or deny his progressive party might probably opt out by switching over to an opposition bloc though all Move Forward MPs may eventually vote in support of Srettha for prime minister.
Chaithawat insisted that the Move Forward ultimately rule out a possible alliance with either the Palang Pracharath headed by Prawit Wongsuwan or Ruam Thai Sang Chart under the de facto party boss Prayut since both are invariably viewed as coup junta-installed camps.
Pheu Thai leader Chonlanan Srikaew confirmed the Move Forward unwavering stand to never join the now-Pheu Thai-led coalition which might possibly include either the Palang Pracharath or Ruam Thai Sang Chart.
The Pheu Thai rank and file are reportedly concerned over the likelihood that most senators will not cast yea votes for Srettha only if the Move Forward still remains among the coalition partners.
Under the coup junta-designed constitution, a prime minister is required to get more than half the combined total of MPs and senators or at least 375 votes.
Meanwhile, Chaithawat condemned the senators who had deliberateLy breached the constitution by putting the parliamentary rules above the charter’s clauses and branded such contentious acts as being tantamount to undermining rule of the country.
Non-coalition MPs and senators successfully voted to overrule the constitution’s clauses under which Pita could have been otherwise given a second chance of being named prime minister in Wednesday’s joint House/Senate session after he had failed to make it in the first round of voting last week.
House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha has been taken to task by coalition MPs for not exerting his power to decide whether the parliamentary meeting rules could practically have overruled the charter which is supposedly the country’s supreme law.
Instead, Wan Noor had the joint session cast votes to decide for themselves after spending more than seven hours debating it.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page: Move Forward secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon. Photos: Matichon
Insert: Pheu Thai leader Chonlanan Srikaew, centre, flanked by deputy leader Phumtham Wechayachai, left, and secretary-general Prasert Chanthararuangthong, right, at today’s press conference. Top photo: Amarin TV, Front Page photo: Matichon
Also read: Borwornsak: Petition Constitutional Court about denying Pita a second chance
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