Former red-shirt movement leader Jatuporn Promphan said he believes that Thailand will still be without a new prime minister this Friday, when parliament is due to meet again to one.
The Pheu Thai party, which is now the core party in forming a new government, is expected to nominate Srettha Thavisin, one of its three prime ministerial candidates.
In his Facebook post, however, Jatuporn pointed out that Srettha agreed with the Move Forward policy to amend the lèse majesté law during the election campaign.
He questioned how the senators and MPs from the faction opposing the eight coalition parties could justify voting in support of Srettha’s candidacy, after they rejected the candidacy of Move Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat, when both candidates share similar views on amending the lèse majesté law.
He warned that, before joint sitting this Friday, a video clip of Srettha’s election campaign remarks concerning the lèse majesté law, and another controversial clip regarding a land deal, will be posted on social media to undermine his candidacy.
The former leader of the now defunct United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), or the “red-shirt” movement, suggested that the best approach for the Pheu Thai and Move Forward parties, given the current political uncertainty, is to stick together and not to break away to join forces with other political factions.
Jumping ship at this point may lead to mass protests, he warned.
Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court is scheduled to meet this Thursday to consider whether to accept for consideration the ombudsman’s petition, challenging parliament’s decision, by a majority vote and based on parliaments Rule 41, to reject Pita’s renomination for prime minister.
The court could reject the ombudsman’s petition, accept the petition or accept the case for consideration and order parliament to suspend the prime ministerial selection process, until there is a ruling in Pita’s case.
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