Jul 13, 2023 at 8:09 PMUpdate: 43 minutes ago
The Thai election winner Pita Limjaroenrat will not come to power for the time being. A majority of parliament had to approve the appointment of the reformist Pita, but a conservative bloc of pro-military senators opposed it.
Pita needed an absolute majority in Thailand’s 749-member parliament to be appointed as prime minister. The former opposition leader, together with a number of other opposition parties, managed to form a bloc of 324 seats. That put him 51 short.
To pass the 375-seat majority threshold, Pita needed the support of a number of military-appointed senators. However, they are seen as supporters of the establishment that has ruled Thailand for the past nine years.
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In the end, thirteen senators voted for Pita’s appointment. In a speech after the crucial vote, the election winner thanked these senators for their courage. “I understand that there is a lot of pressure on them. There are many reasons why they are not allowed to vote in agreement with the people. But I will not give up,” said Pita.
Under the current rules, parliament will continue to carry out new votes until there is an absolute majority. The next round of voting is scheduled for next week. But it does not seem that he will suddenly receive much more support from the conservative bloc. With this, Thai politics seems to be heading for an impasse.
Pita wants to end military influence
Pita supporters reacted furiously to the result of the vote. They demand that the election result be respected and that Pita become prime minister. Thai authorities prepared for demonstrations outside the parliament building in the capital Bangkok.
Pita’s party promised in its campaign to end the influence of the military on politics, among other things. Now the army has a firm finger in the pie: 249 seats are filled with senators appointed by the army.
Pita won two months ago over incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who announced that he would leave politics after his huge defeat. Prayut won only 36 of the electable seats. The outgoing prime minister came to power in a military coup in 2014.
2023-07-13 18:09:27
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