Conceding defeat to the Bhumjaithai party, People’s party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut told the media at his party’s head office tonight that they respect the voters’ choice and will leave the Bhumjaithai party to form the new government.
He also said that he will keep his word that the People’s party will not vote in support of prime ministerial candidates from the Bhumjaithai party.
The Bhumjaithai’s first prime ministerial candidate is Anutin Charnvirakul, the party leader.
Natthaphong conceded his party’s defeat to Bhumjaithai after the unofficial vote count, according to the Thai PBS election War Room’s report, showed Bhumjaithai having won 198 House seats, both constituency and party-list, against the People’s party’s 97.
In the last election, in 2023, the People’s party came first, garnering 151 seats, including 32 out of Bangkok’s 33 constituency seats.
As is a political tradition, Natthaphong said the People’s party will not compete in forming a new government, adding that, as yet, the party has not been approached to join a Bhumjaithai coalition.
He said the party will soldier on and perform its duty in parliament as the opposition and will continue championing its bid to craft a new Constitution, after the unofficial count of the referendum vote clearly shows that most voters are in favour of doing so.
He called upon all the parties which agreed to support the writing of a new Constitution to keep their promises.n by his party was not yet final.
