By Thai Newsroom Reporters
Phitsanulok – The Pheu Thai, core of the current coalition government, scored a victory in Phitsanulok’s by-election for MP today (Sep. 15), defeating the People’s, the largest camp in the opposition bloc.
According to unofficial results of today’s by-election in Constituency 1 of the upper central province, Pheu Thai contestant Jadet Jandra won 37,209 votes whilst People’s contender Natachanon Chanaburanasak got 30,640 votes.
The mini-race to the House of Representatives followed last month’s controversial dissolution of the Move Forward by the Constitutional Court, rendering an immediate loss of MP status of former members of their executive board including former deputy House speaker Padipat Suntipada.
Those former executive members of the court-dissolved reformist party were also prohibited by law from assuming political positions at any levels for a 10-year period.
Padipat, who legally skipped over from the Move Forward to the Fair Party last year to maintain his Deputy House Speaker’s seat, had represented Phitsanulok’s urban constituents at parliament since 2019.
Other former Move Forward executive members including former Move Forward leaders Pita Limjaroenrat and Chaithawat Tulathon were party-listed legislators for whom no by-election was required by law as otherwise warranted for constituency-based lawmakers.
The Move Forward, dissolved on charges of hatching design to undermine the country’s rule by openly attempting to amend the draconian lese majeste law, also known as Section 112 of the Criminal Code, was practically rebranded as the People’s Party.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page: Pheu Thai candidate Jadet Jandra with his arms raised after winning the by-election. Photos: Naewna
Insert: People’s candidate Natachanon Chanaburanasak thanks those who voted for him in the by-election. Photo: Thai Rath
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