Global Courant 2023-05-13 17:25:00
BANGKOK – Thailand’s pro-democracy opposition parties have the momentum to dislodge a coalition of conservative parties led by incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, according to Mr Pita Limjaroenrat, whose liberal Move Forward Party (MFP) is a late wave of support ahead of Sunday’s vote.
If an opposition party alliance wins more than half of the 500 seats in the House of Representatives, it will be able to elect its nominee as prime minister, Pita said in an interview on the sidelines of a campaign rally in Bangkok on Saturday.
Mr Pita’s remarks showed his confidence that the 250-member Senate – made up of military appointees – will not try to redirect the election of the next prime minister to a more conservative candidate.
Senate members will have to pay a “high price” if they go against the popular mandate, the 42-year-old said. The next prime minister “should be of the people, by the people and for the people”.
Thailand is holding its second election after Prayut led a military coup in 2014 to oust an elected government. The vote is billed as a duel between the liberal opposition and the pro-royalist and military-backed coalition that has ruled Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy for nearly a decade.
The opposition parties, led by Pheu Thai, are vying for similar promises, such as handouts, wage increases and a suspension of debt payments for farmers and other individuals. The opposition appears to be on course to win the election, according to several polls conducted before voting began.
Mr Pita’s MFP has pledged to push for more radical changes, including ending conscription and passing amendments to a law that would penalize any criticism of Thailand’s royal family. It also wants to rewrite the constitution to curb the role of the military-appointed senate.
Thai election officials expect record turnout of 80 percent from the more than 50 million eligible voters who will elect 500 members to the House of Commons in a two-vote system. One hundred seats are allocated based on the number of votes each party receives.
MFP expects to meet its goal of winning at least 100 seats and expects to perform particularly well on the party’s list, Pita said.
Less than a day before voting booths opened, he said the party is aiming to win over voters in some swing constituencies where the outcome could go either way. BLOOMBERG
