House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha said today (Monday) that his legal team will have to listen to the opinions of the House and Senate whips about whether the joint sitting of parliament, to select the prime minister, scheduled for this Thursday, will be postponed.
The whips are scheduled to meet on Wednesday, he said, adding that he needs to hear the views of the eight coalition parties as well.
All parties and the Senate have been thrown into disarray after the ombudsmen decided today to ask the Constitutional Court to consider a petition challenging parliament’s majority vote on July 19th to reject Move Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s renomination as a prime ministerial candidate.
The ombudsman also asked the Charter Court to order parliament to suspend the prime ministerial selection process, until it rules on Pita’s renomination.
After the Move Forward party decided to let Pheu Thai take the lead in forming the government, the party has invited core members of several parties, among them Bhumjaithai, Palang Pracharath, United Thai Nation, Chartthaipattana and Chart Pattana Kla, for discussions and reportedly to seek their support for their prime ministerial candidate, due to be nominated in parliament this Thursday.
The party has also been approaching senators individually to seek their support.
All the parties approached have declared that they will not accept the Move Forward party in the coalition government, because of its determination to amend the lèse majesté law.
