Court denies Pita a second chance of being named PM

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT today (Aug.16) dropped a petition seeking a court judgement as to whether Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat may be legally given a second chance of being named prime minister, thus automatically denying it.

The Constitutional Court judges reached an unanimous decision to waive up the case earlier filed by the Office of the Ombudsman, practically denying Pita the second chance of being named and voted prime minister following the May 14 election which has turned his Move Forward into the country’s No.1 largest elected party.

For the first time last month, Pita had been named head of a post-election government but failed to get adequate support from among MPs and senators.

Then, the Move Forward leader had tried to be named a second time but an overwhelming majority of the MPs and senators had cast nay votes to deny it, prompting the Office of the Ombudsman to ask the Constitutional Court to deliver the ruling over the complicated legal matter.

The court stated that the case was completely lifted due to the fact that the Office of the Ombudsman which had lodged the case was not a person or entity directly involved or affected in the parliamentary process for the naming of prime minister.

In the meantime, Pheu Thai prime-ministerial candidate Srettha Thavisin will be very likely named in a joint House/Senate meeting to be shortly scheduled by House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha.

It remains to be seen whether the real estate tycoon-turned-prime-ministerial candidate will eventually get a minimum of 374 yea votes from Pheu Thai-led coalition MPs and senators to take the helm of government.

That accounts for more than half the combined total of 498 MPs and 249 senators who are currently performing.

CAPTIONS:

Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat. Top photo: Matichon. Front Page photo: Thai Rath

Insert: The Constitutional Court logo. Photo: Matichon

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