By Thai Newsroom Reporters
MOVE FORWARD LEADER Pita Limjaroenrat will no longer be named prime minister, according to Pheu Thai secretary-general Prasert Chanthararuangthong.
Though Pita might possibly be given a second chance by court to be named and voted prime minister some time next month, the Pheu Thai as head of the eight coalition partners will no longer name him so again, Prasert commented today (July 26).
In lieu of the Move Forward leader who has already failed to get adequate support from among non-coalition MPs and senators earlier this month and is currently suspended by court from performing as MP, one of a trio of Pheu Thai candidates for prime minister will be named and voted some time next month.
Real estate tycoon Srettha Thavisin viewed as personally close to deposed prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra is currently known as the No.1 Pheu Thai contender for prime minister.
It remains to be seen whether the Pheu Thai under de facto party boss/deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will eventually turn away from the eight coalition partners to the other side which includes the Bhumjaithai under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob, the Palang Pracharath headed by Prawit Wongsuwan and the Ruam Thai Sang Chart under de facto party boss/caretaker prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, among others.
Nevertheless, Srettha is more or less speculated to fail to get enough yea votes from the anti-Pita MPs and senators as long as the Move Forward remains as part of the Pheu Thai-led coalition.
All the 249 senators had been handpicked by Prawit and Prayut following the 2014 coup staged by the latter as army chief.
Pheu Thai leader Chonlanan Srikaew has earlier suggested the Bhumjaithai as the third largest elected party be given the role of setting up a coalition government now that the Pheu Thai, the second largest elected camp after the Move Forward, may eventually fail to make it.
In another development, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, a former leader of the court-dissolved Future Forward which has practically resurrected as the Move Forward, was rumoured to have quietly met with Thaksin somewhere in Hong Kong over the weekend.
Thanathorn declined to either confirm or deny the latest hearsay surrounding the attempted formation of a Pheu Thai-led coalition government whilst the non-coalition parties have openly insisted none of their MPs vote for any Pheu Thai candidate for prime minister unless the Move Forward is eventually dumped out of it.
Thaksin has been invariably linked with the sustained Pheu Thai effort to name one of its partisan contestants for prime minister and set up a coalition government even before and during the time of the Move Forward as a previous core of the eight coalition partners following the May 14 election.
The de facto Pheu Thai boss who has repeatedly heralded a coveted return to the home country after nearly 17 years in self-exile abroad has put off his homecoming earlier planned for any day prior to today which marks his 74th birthday anniversary.
Paetongtarn has earlier said her father had opted to not return home for the time being probably until a post-election government has been set up and started to run the country.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat, left, and Pheu Thai leader Chonlanan Srikaew, right, holding a copy of the MOU the eight coalition partners signed.
Front Page: Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat, right, Pheu Thai leader Chonlanan Srikaew, left, at a press conference late May this year.
Insert: Pheu Thai secretary-general Prasert Chanthararuangthong. All photos: Thai Rath
Also read: Thanathorn ‘not holding talks with Thaksin in Hong Kong’
Joint House/senate session to pick PM put off
Pita denied second chance of being named PM, suspended from performing as MP
Ombudsman’s Office to ask court to postpone next meeting on voting for PM
Thammasat group launches sign-up campaign to put off PM vote for 10 months
Bhumjaithai might take turn to form majority govt: Chonlanan
Protesters shape up ‘Khor Khwai’ to curse at anti-consensus senators, parties
Protesters disrupt press conference at Pheu Thai HQ
Palang Pracharath joins other conservative camps against Move Forward
Chart Thai Pattana boss confirms stance against amending Section 112
Chonlanan reminded of vow to quit if Pheu Thai joins hands with ‘Uncle Pom’
Bhumjaithai not joining Pheu Thai-led coalition unless Move Forward is dumped
Pheu Thai to invite Prayut’s party, Chart Pattana Kla to talks
