The opposition People party repeated its call today for the caretaker prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, to proceed with seeking dissolution of the House without waiting for the party’s support for its prime ministerial candidate, Chaikasem Nitisiri.
Parit Wacharasindhu, spokesman for the People's Party, said their MPs and executive committee members will meet again this afternoon, in an attempt to reach a decision on whether the party will vote in support for the Pheu Thai, the Bhumjaithai candidate or neither.
The meeting ended yesterday with a wide difference of opinions. Last night, it sought opinions online from party members across the country, which will provided as feedback to inform the meeting today.
Parit said Phumtham must give a clear answer to the People party as to whether he will dissolve the House now, or after the vote on the prime ministerial candidate, if he believes that House dissolution is the best way out of the current political deadlock.
He also said the People party is has doubts over whether Chaikasem is actually the Pheu Thai party’s prime ministerial candidate, noting that, even among Pheu Thai MPs, there are differences of opinion about him, adding that the People party has not yet met
with him.
The spokesman stressed that the People's Party has to exercise great caution before making a decision on which side to support, if any, adding that this may delay the selection of the new prime minister.
Opinions are also divided as to whether Phumtham, as a caretaker prime minister, has the power to request dissolution of the House.
The People party and the coalition parties maintain that Phumtham can do so, but the Council of State, the government’s legal arm, insists that a caretaker prime minister has no such power, adding that dissolving the House is the prerogative of the King, but the caretaker prime minster can make the recommendation.
Dissolution of the House is one of the pre-conditions set by the People's Party for their support.
