20 July 2023 at 00:49
Thai opposition leader Pita Limjaroenrat has been banned from becoming prime minister. That was determined by parliament on Wednesday after chief justices suspended him as a member of parliament. The chances were small that he would be elected anyway, because the army – which he criticizes – has a big say in this.
The chief justices found that Limjaroenrat could still be a prime ministerial candidate despite his suspension as a member of parliament. But parliament still put a stop to that. The majority of them decided that the reformist opposition leader should not run for prime minister while suspended.
Limjaroenrat has been suspended for allegedly owning shares in a television broadcaster, which has been inactive since 2007. Members of Parliament are not allowed by law to have shares in the media. Limjaroenrat inherited the shares from his father.
The 42-year-old opposition leader said in an interview with Tuesday Reuters that he expected “pre-planned” obstacles following his election victory in May. The reformist opposition leader Limjaroenrat was then the big winner with his progressive party Move Forward (MFP).
Despite his victory, it was immediately clear that Limjaroenrat would have difficulty becoming prime minister, because, in addition to 500 elected parliamentarians, 250 senators are also allowed to vote. Those senators are all appointed by the mighty military.
In the senate hardly anyone voted for Limjaroenrat. He did win a majority in the lower house, but still fell 51 votes short of being prime minister. A new prime minister is only installed with a majority.
Limjaroenrat’s party wants to reduce the power of the army
MFP promised in the election campaign to end the influence of the military on politics, among other things.
The military has had a lot of power in the country since a coup in 2014.
In addition, Thailand has been politically polarized for decades by two opposing views. One side is nationalistic and sees the king as an almost absolute monarch. The other side – to which Limjaroenrat belongs – wants a democratic and more egalitarian state. The army is pro-royal and supports conservative nationalists.
2023-07-19 22:49:43
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