By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE PEOPLE’S is not only looking to emerge as the largest elected party but to roughly get 30 more MP seats than the second largest elected camp to keep the latter from manipulating a hush-hush setup of a government in sheer competition with the former after the Feb.8 election, ex-Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit remarked over the weekend.
The People’s is more or less anticipating to win some 30 more MP seats than a certain party which may come out as the second largest elected one to keep a gap between the number of the People’s MP seats wide enough from that to be secured by the unnamed camp to the extent that the former could successfully manage to set up a government after the nationwide election, according to the current Progressive Movement leader.
“A difference in the numbers of MP seats to be won by the People’s and the archrival party will certainly count more than a total of MP seats that either one will get in the first place, given the anticipated phenomenon in which the People’s is the largest elected one.
“For that reason, the People’s needs to roughly get more 30 MP seats than the second largest elected party in order to set up a government whilst hoping that a preferable gap in the numbers of MP seats between the contesting parties is going to be wide enough to deter the latter from simultaneously setting up a competitive one,” Thanathorn commented.
On the other hand, if the gap between the numbers of MP seats to be gotten by the largest elected party and those by the second largest elected party is relatively slim or less than 30, the latter might probably scramble to align with the third and fourth largest elected parties plus a few other relatively small camps to hold talks behind closed doors and come out with a coalition government in sheer competition with the largest elected one, according to the ex-Future Forward leader who has been assisting in the People’s electoral campaign.
Thanathorn declined to name the party which he may anticipate to emerge as the second largest elected one after the People’s supposedly as the largest elected one.
However, the Bhumjaithai, currently core of the caretaker government under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob, is largely expected to come out as the second largest elected camp whilst the Pheu Thai under de facto party boss/inmate Thaksin Shinawatra is more or less speculated to emerge as the third largest elected one.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is contesting under the tickets of ultra-conservative Bhumjaithai to remain in power after the Feb.8 election with archrivals being the reformist People’s leader Nattapong Ruengpanyawut and top Pheu Thai contender Yodchanan Wongsawat, nephew of the de facto boss of the neo-conservative party.
In the 2023 election, the then Move Forward emerged as the largest elected camp with 151 MP seats, accounting for 10 more than the Pheu Thai, but the reformist camp finally failed to garner a majority of votes for the naming of their party leader Pita Limjaroenrat for prime minister, primarily owing to the coup junta-appointed senators standing in his way. But the current senators are no longer legally empowered to do so following the upcoming election.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether Newin’s camp and Thaksin’s camp might eventually join hands with each other to stand in the way of the People’s attempting to set up a post-election government and simultaneously conjure up a competitive one.
CAPTIONS:
Ex-Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit (second left above) attending a rally in Sakhon Nakhon above, and giving a speech in Trat Front Page. Above photo Thai Rath, Front Page photo Naewna
First insert – Caretaker Prime Minister/Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul talking to reporters in Pathum Thani. Photo – Amarin TV
Third insert – Pheu Thai prime minister candidate Yodchanan Wongsawut at a rally in Nakhon Phanom. Photo – Naewna
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