The pro-government Chart Pattana party, which commands three seats in the lower House, is wondering aloud whether it will be given one cabinet portfolio, as promised to the party by the “phuyai” in the Palang Pracharat party.
Party spokeswoman Ms. Yaowapa Boorapolchai told the media on Sunday that the party is still waiting for confirmation of the promised seat from the Palang Pracharat, the core party in the coalition government.
She insisted that the party did not make any demands which could shake the coalition’s stability, adding that the party has been supportive of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha all along.
Ms. Yaowapa said that the one cabinet seat promised to the party was based on an alliance agreement for the formation of the post-election government and on mathematical calculation of seven lower House MPs per one cabinet seat.
Citing the cases of two coalition parties, Democrat and Bhumjaithai, which have 53 and 51 MPs respectively, she said the two parties were each allocated seven cabinet seats whereas, another coalition partner, Chart Thai Pattana, which has 10 MPs, was given two cabinet seats.
Speculation has been rife over the past few days that the Chart Pattana party would not get any cabinet seat at all, as the promised seat would be given to a dissident group to pre-empt their rebellion.
