The eight-party coalition reasserted today (Monday) that Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat is its sole candidate for the premiership.
Pita was speaking after separate meetings with all coalition parties. The meetings were held after Pita’s first attempt to become the next premier of Thailand was thwarted on July 13th, as he could not secure enough parliamentary votes.
At that joint, Pita was nominated by Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew as the sole candidate.
Despite the setback, Pita vowed to fight on in the second joint sitting, scheduled for this Wednesday.
The coalition parties held urgent meetings today to find common ground on whether they would continue to support Pita as the sole candidate. Pita emerged from the meetings, however, and informed the waiting media that he is still the coalition’s only candidate.
He acknowledged that there are some concerns that his re-nomination may violate the Constitution and parliamentary regulations, as it could be tantamount to a repeat submission of a failed motion in a single parliamentary session.
In the joint sitting on July 13 many senators did not vote for him because of his party’s vow to amend the lèse majesté law. Many senators asked him to back down on this issue.
Despite wishing to secure more votes from senators in his second nomination, Pita claimed today that the lèse majesté law issue is merely being used as an excuse to vote against his candidacy. The reason he continues pushing for the amendment is because he wants to keep the promise he made to the electorate during the election campaign.
“There would be other excuse not to vote for me if the lèse majesté issue disappeared,” he claimed.
