Many senators to vote Srettha for PM first, ‘uncles’ camps’ to join Pheu Thai govt later

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

AN OVERWHELMING NUMBER of senators will likely join Pheu Thai-led coalition MPs to vote Srettha Thavisin for prime minister first with the “uncles’ camps” likely joining a Pheu Thai-led coalition government later, partisan sources said today (Aug.3).

Those senators are largely speculated to cast yea votes for the real estate tycoon-turned-Pheu Thai candidate for prime minister alongside the MPs attached to a brand-new Pheu Thai-led coalition out of which the Move Forward has already been dumped.

Though neither the Palang Pracharath led by Prawit “Uncle Pom’ Wongsuwan nor the Ruam Thai Sang Chart under de facto party boss/caretaker prime minister Prayut “Uncle Tu” Chan-o-cha may not be brought into the Pheu Thai-led coalition for the time being, they will very likely join in after the voting for Srettha for prime minister in a joint House/Senate meeting has been done later this month, the sources said.

Unless an overwhelming number out of the total of 249 senators, all of whom had been handpicked by both “uncles” themselves, lend solid support for the Pheu Thai contestant for prime minister, he will almost certainly fail to get an adequate vote to take the helm of government, given only an estimated 262-plus MPs on his side.

The head of a post-election government is legally obliged to get a minimum of 375 votes, accounting for more than half the combined total of MPs and senators.

“Without the senators’ helping hands, Srettha will never get enough votes for prime minister. But the senators will never do so in the first place without the uncles’ camps jumping onto the Pheu Thai bandwagon at a later date,” a partisan source said.

The 149 Move Forward MPs who have been dumped out of the Pheu Thai-led coalition are more or less expected to abstain from voting in the delayed House/Senate session.

The Pheu Thai-led coalition government currently consists of 141 Pheu Thai MPs, 71 Bhumjaithai MPs, 20-plus Democrat MPs, 10 Chart Thai Pattana MPs and nine Prachachart MPs, plus several others from splinter parties whilst the Move Forward is merely turning out to be a leading opposition party.

Finally, the latest alliance headed by the Pheu Thai under de facto party boss/deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will likely include 40 Palang Pracharath MPs and 36 Ruam Thai Sang Chart MPs at a later date, though neither one of the powerful “uncles” will almost certainly be found in a Srettha cabinet, they said.

CAPTIONS:

Top: Pheu Thai candidate for prime minister Srettha Thavisin with Thaksin Shinawatra’s daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Photo: Thai Rath

Front Page: Srettha Thavisin likely to get a lot of votes from senators. Photo: Matichon

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