![]() ![]() Opposition candidates could also face court cases that could prevent them from staying in power. Hitler was elected in a majority but led the country to world war … If there is a possibility of creating division in the country, I will not vote for them.” Somchai Sawangkarn told Reuters, that any candidate “must be honest and not cause problems in the country. And today it’s a new day and hopefully it’s full of bright sunshine of hope going forward.”Ī joint session of the House of Representatives will be held with the Senate in July to select the new prime minister. Pita, 42, a former executive of a ride-hailing app, said: “The sentiment of the era has changed and it’s right. Pheu Thai said the matter should be discussed in parliament but is strongly opposed to the law being scrapped, while Conservative parties all fiercely oppose any change. Move Forward, whose own candidates have been charged under the law, is the only party to make a clear commitment to reforming it. This was the first election in which the lese-majesty law was openly discussed by candidates – a change brought about by the 2020 youth-led mass protests where activists risked jail to call for the influence and wealth of the monarchy to be curbed. That’s the new battleground in Thai politics.” “Move Forward takes the game to the next level with institutional reform. Pheu Thai had campaigned using its old approach of populist policies, he said. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, described the results as “staggering” and “historic”. Over the past two decades, parties linked to the Shinawatra family have repeatedly proved unbeatable at the ballot box, winning the most seats in every election since 2001. Throughout the national count, it was neck and neck with Pheu Thai, a heavyweight opposition party that had been aiming to win by a landslide. Move Forward, which wants to reform the lese-majesty law – a taboo topic – and has taken a strong stance in calling for military reform, shocked even some of its own supporters by outperforming expectations on Sunday. However, this is sufficient for him to still be in the running for prime minister, in the event he can cobble together a coalition. Prayut Chan-ocha, a former army chief who first came to power in a coup in 2014, and who ran a staunchly nationalist campaign, was trailing far behind with 36 seats. Photograph: Sirachai Arunrugstichai/Getty Images Supporters of the Move Forward party react to the election results. He said voter turnout was the highest recorded, at 75.22%. ![]() ![]() The numbers would need to be confirmed before they could be pronounced as official, which would happen within 60 days. The election commission chair, Ittiporn Boonprakon, said Move Forward had secured 151 of the 500 available seats, while Pheu Thai had 141. Pita Limjaroenrat warned of a “hefty price” to pay if there was interference in the election outcome that would lead to the formation of a minority government. It is unclear if senators’ votes will reflect the will of the people, especially given Move Forward’s ambition to reform Thailand’s lese-majesty law. For any of the opposition parties to take power, they will need to form a coalition that has numbers strong enough to pass through a system that is weighed in favour of the military-backed candidates.Ī future prime minister will be voted on not just by the 500-seat house of representatives, whose membership is be dictated by the election results, but also by the senate, whose 250 members were appointed by the military after the last coup. ![]()
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