United Thai Nation party has no intention to nominate its leader to compete for the premiership, said the party’s secretary general Akanat Promphan on Thursday.

He dismissed as groundless the rumours in some media that the party wishes to compete with the Move Forward party for the premiership, by nominating Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, who is the party’s prime ministerial candidate.

“The party has only 36 MPs, so it could not be at the core in forming the government and it does not support a minority government, which would make administration difficult,” Akanat said.

The House speaker-elect has scheduled July 13 for a joint sitting of the House and the Senate to vote for the prime minister.

Move Forward, with a coalition of seven others parties, can muster 312 votes. It requires 64 more votes, from either rival parties or the Senate in the July 13 sitting,  for its leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, to become the 30th prime minister of Thailand.

Some outspoken senators have declared that they will not vote for Pita, whose party has campaigned for amendment of the lèse majesté laws.

Akanat added that his party will work constructively, but will not support amendment of the lèse majesté laws.