A political activist asked the House speaker on Monday not to allow the re-nomination of Pita Limjaroenrat for the premiership on Wednesday.
Political activist Ruangkrai Leekitwattana said, if Pita is re-nominated, it may violate the Constitution and parliamentary regulations, as it could be tantamount to submitting a repeat motion in a single parliamentary session.
Pita’s first attempt to become the next prime minister of Thailand failed on July 13, when he did not gain enough parliamentary votes.In a joint sitting of 500 MPs and 250 senators, Pita received just 324 of the 375 votes required. Of the lawmakers present, 182 voted against him and 199 abstained.
Despite the failure, Move Forward party and its coalition parties have vowed to re-nominate Pita during the joint sitting scheduled for July 19.
The House’s legal advisers are studying whether the motion to nominate Pita can be re-submitted. A parliamentary regulation states that a motion can, however, be re-considered in Parliament with the permission of the House speaker.
Ruangkrai said no one should stand as a prime ministerial candidate if they are disqualified by the Constitution, and the Election Commission has already asked the Constitution Court to consider Pita’s ITV shareholding, which could potentially disqualify him from standing in the general election in the first place.
Therefore, Pita should not have been nominated for the premiership on July 13, let alone again on the 19, Ruangkrai said.
He also believes that the House speaker should consult with Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, the president of the Senate, and the legal advisers before deciding anything.
