The spotlight has now turned on the Pheu Thai Party, which is likely to take over from the Move Forward party in forming the next government, after they lost their bid to nominate their leader Pita Limjaroenrat as prime minister today (Wednesday).

Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew reconfirmed the unity of the eight political parties in the coalition pact, despite the latest setback suffered by Move Forward, and hinted at his party’s readiness to take the lead in forming the coalition.

Chaithawat Tulathon, secretary general of Move Forward, admitted that Pita’s failure to be nominated as prime minister has opened the way for Pheu Thai to be at the core of the next government.

“We need to talk with Move Forward and the other partners, to sound out their views on what steps are to be taken,” Cholnan told Thai PBS when asked about Pheu Thai’s political plan.

Cholnan said that the formation of the coalition and the nomination of the prime minister should be agreed upon before next Thursday, when the Parliament meets again. Cholnan did not, however, discount the possibility of additional political parties being brought into the coalition.

He also declined to confirm whether his party will nominate Srettha Thavisin, a well-known real estate tycoon, as prime minister. Srettha is one of Pheu Thai’s three prime ministerial candidates, who also include Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former prime minister Thaksin, who suggested early this week that Srettha was qualified to be prime minister.

The party has yet to decide officially which of the three will be nominated.

Pheu Thai won the second largest number of House seats in the May 14^th general election and is rumoured to have done a backroom deal with some of the political parties in the outgoing coalition government, while publicly voicing support for Pita.