Amending the lèse majesté law is not included in the memorandum of understanding (MOU), to which the Move Forward party has agreed with the seven other parties in their post-election government.

The 23-point MOU was officially unveiled at a press conference this evening (Monday), during which Move Forward’s leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, expressed confidence that he will get enough parliamentary support to be Thailand’s next prime minister.

Pita said the MOU serves as a written commitment by the eight parties, which have a combined 313 House seats, to work together and to implement the policies to which they have collectively agreed.

Excluding the amendment of the lèse majesté law from the MOU is seen as an attempt by Pita to avoid conflict with his new political allies, some of whom are opposed to it.

Pita insisted, however, that his party will go ahead with a proposed amendment to the law, which it sees as anachronistic and whose penalties are too severe.

“It is one of the draft laws that Move Forward Party intend to submit to Parliament by itself,” he said.

Some of his coalition partners, including the Pheu Thai and Thai Sang Thai parties, have publicly insisted that they do not support amendment of the lèse majesté law.