“It is never too late” according to Pheu Thai secretary-general Phumtham Wechayachai, as he made yet another plea for all pro-democracy parties to join hands in a coalition to bring the country out of political stalemate.
Mr. Phumtham’s latest appeal via Facebook today was apparently aimed at the Democrat and Bhumjaithai parties after talks between the Democrats and the Palang Pracharat over the agriculture portfolio ended in deadlock, prompting the Democrat party to postpone indefinitely its meeting of the executive committee and MPs to decide whether the party should join the Palang Pracharat-led coalition.
The Pheu Thai secretary-general said that the chances of Palang Pracharat forming a coalition government appeared to be slimming as the days pass and, even if the party ultimately succeeds, the government would be shaky because of its narrow majority in the House of Representatives.
In the worst case scenario, if the stalemate drags on and a government cannot be formed, he said he had heard a report that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha might dissolve the House and call a new round of elections.
Phumtham blamed the current political stalemate on the distorted Constitution which, he noted, allows senators to join MPs in electing a prime minister.
He cited the result of the by-election in Chiang Mai’s Constituency 8 on Sunday, which saw the Future Forward party candidate win a landslide victory, saying that the result had sent a clear message from the people that they want to free themselves from the rule of Prime Minister Prayut and his associates.
“The people are waiting to have the promises made by political parties actually kept. Do not fail the people,” said Phumtham in his appeal for pro-democracy parties to join force to stop the junta.
