Global Courant
BANGKOK — Thailand’s Election Commission has approved the May 14 poll results, clearing the way for the 500 MPs elected to the House of Commons. By law, this must be done within 15 days, or no later than July 3.
But the process of forming a new government is far from easy as Mr Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of the winning Move Forward Party (MFP), is still under investigation for allegedly illegally holding shares of media companies.
Announcing the approval on Monday, Election Commission Secretary General Mr Sawaeng Boonmee said his office was still considering the complaint against Mr Pita and reserved the right to have one year to investigate electoral fraud.
A conservative politician claims Pita broke the rules by owning shares in iTV, which ran a television station that ceased operations in 2007. Pita says he owned the shares as trustee of his late father’s estate, but Thai law prohibits election candidates from owning media shares.
Thailand’s landmark polls yielded a surprise win for the youthful, progressive MFP, outpacing much larger pro-democracy parties such as Pheu Thai Party, as well as those made up of former coup makers who ousted the government in 2014 and took control of the country.
The MFP won 151 seats in the House of Representatives on May 14, compared to 141 for Pheu Thai, another opposition party linked to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The pro-military Palang Pracharath party, which formed the ruling coalition after polls in 2019, won just 40 seats. Outgoing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s United Thai Nation Party won 36 seats.
Mr Pita, 42, then announced an eight-party coalition with a 312-seat majority in the 500-seat House. The other seven parties – Pheu Thai, Prachachat, Thai Sang Thai, Seri Ruam Thai, Fair, Pue Thai Rumphlang and Plung Sungkom Mai – agreed to support Pita’s bid to become prime minister.
But the military-installed legislative system gives 250 appointed senators the right to vote alongside the House of Representatives on the choice of the prime minister. It is not clear whether Pita’s bloc can muster the extra votes needed to cross the 376 threshold and secure his premiership.
Some senators have expressed reservations about Mr. Pita because of his party’s push to change the lèse-majesté law. This punishes anyone who slanders or insults the monarch with up to 15 years in prison.
However, the MFP’s position on lèse-majeste was not mentioned in a 23-point memorandum of understanding signed by members of the coalition. Instead, goals such as recognizing same-sex marriage and ending military service, except during emergencies, came to the fore.
Negotiations on the division of roles between the coalition members have reportedly been tense. For example, Pheu Thai politicians have expressed their desire to occupy the seat of Speaker of the House of Commons – something the MFP wants to keep for itself to advance its agenda.
The private sector has warned that delays in forming a new government could hurt budget payouts and investor sentiment.
Mr Chaitawat Tulathon, the secretary general of the MFP, said on Monday afternoon: “After the elections are over and the results are known, the process of choosing a prime minister and forming a government should be based on the demand of the majority.
“It is the best political solution to end political differences.”
