Pheu Thai Deputy Leader Phumtham Wechayachai says that the second joint sitting of the House and Senate, to select the prime minister on Wednesday, should be the last of Move Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s attempts to be chosen as prime minister.
He also said that Pita and his party may have to make a sacrifice to let the country move forward and the economy to recover, as Thailand cannot afford to be without a new government for a long time, which could also allow the caretaker government of Prayut Chan-o-cha to stay in power until next year.
In an exclusive interview with Suthichai Yoon, Phumtham said that the Move Forward party’s plan to amend Section 272 of the Constitution, to strip senators of the power to select the prime minister, is not included in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the eight coalition members.
He dismissed the Move Forward party’s bid for constitutional amendment as a near impossible task, pointing out that the party needs at least 86 votes from the senators to amend Section 272, while the party could not even muster 64 votes from the Senate to approve Pita’s prime ministerial candidacy.
Referring to Pita’s latest statement, that the party will fight on until it fulfils its goal to get Pita selected as prime minister, Phumtham asked “How long will it take for them to realise that they have no way to win?”
“Shall we wait for the voting to be repeated over and over until next year, when the senators’ authority to select the prime minister expires? We cannot wait that long. We must place the interests of the people and the country first,” said the Pheu Thai deputy leader.
Regarding the second round of voting in the selection of the prime minister this Wednesday, Phumtham admitted that he does not know how the Move Forward party will persuade more senators or MPs to vote for Pita, because their stance on the lèse majesté law is clear.
He insisted, though, that Pheu Thai still stands behind Pita’s prime ministerial candidacy, adding that “if the second vote has the same result as the first, it is clear that it is difficult and we would have to accept reality.”
