The pro-Prayut Palang Pracharat party is confident that it will be able to form a coalition, said Mr. Sontirat Sontijirawong, the party secretary-general today.

He said talks with potential allies about forming the post-election government are in progress, but he declined to give details about which parties are being approached or the issues being discussed.

Dismissing Pheu Thai chief election strategist Sudarat Keyuraphan’s assertion that the Pheu Thai party should have priority in forming a government since it has won the most House seats, Sontirat claimed that the Palang Pracharat party has won the popular vote and was represented in all regions of the country in the election. He insisted that the Palang Pracharat party has the legitimacy to take the lead.

The party secretary-general said they would not follow in the footsteps of the Pheu Thai party, which has offered the premiership to Bhumjai Thai party leader Anuthin Charnvirakul to lure the party into its coalition. “During the election campaigning, we nominated Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as the party’s prime ministerial candidate and we are sticking to this nomination.  We will not give the premiership to someone else,” he said.