- Advertisement -
World

Thailand's Move Forward makes way for alliance partner to form next govt

It pledges to back any candidate Pheu Thai puts forward for prime minister, after its own candidate failed to get parliament's support.

Reuters
1 minute read
Share
A supporter holds a banner depicting a picture of Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat on the day of the second vote for a new prime minister, at the parliament in Bangkok, Thailand, July 19. Photo: Reuters
A supporter holds a banner depicting a picture of Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat on the day of the second vote for a new prime minister, at the parliament in Bangkok, Thailand, July 19. Photo: Reuters

Thailand's election-winning Move Forward party will let alliance partner, the Pheu Thai party, lead the formation of a government after its prime ministerial candidate failed to get parliament's backing, a senior official said on Friday.

Party secretary Chaithawat Tulathon told a press conference that Move Forward would back any candidate Pheu Thai would put forward for prime minister in a parliamentary vote scheduled for on July 27.

The eight-party alliance had backed Move Forward's 42-year-old leader Pita Limjaroenrat for the premiership but he failed to win the support of the bicameral parliament on July 13 and his re-nomination six days later was blocked by lawmakers.

Move Forward and Pheu Thai have 151 and 141 seats in 500-member lower house, respectively, but the alliance needs the backing of more than half of the combined chambers, including an upper house Senate appointed by the military, which blocked Pita's bid.

The liberal Move Forward won the May elections, crushing its conservative opponents in a clear public rejection of nearly nine years of military-backed governments.

Its progressive policies like ending business monopolies and amending the country's controversial royal insults law challenged the country's powerful royalist military and old money elites.