A supporter of Move Forward party holds a paper fan of party leader Pita Limjaroenrat during a protest in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, July 14, 2023. SAKCHAI LALIT/AP
Progressive candidate Pita Limjaroenrat, winner of Thailand’s May 14 general election, announced on Saturday July 15 that she would withdraw her candidacy for the post of prime minister if she voted in parliament on Wednesday after a first Failure should lose Thursday.
“I am willing to give Thailand a chance by letting the party that took second place in terms of votes (…) be the one that will form the coalition,” said the leader of the Move Forward movement . The MP will need to gather around fifty army-appointed senators (out of 250) to secure the necessary majority – a scenario experts say is unlikely.
“It’s clear that Move Forward doesn’t really stand a chance of forming a government,” he admitted. “But until that day we will not give up. And I ask everyone to fight to the end,” the leader insisted.
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Profile too radical
A darling of younger generations, the Move Forward party inflicted a major electoral blow on the army, which has been in power since the 2014 coup, on a program reminiscent of the pro-democracy demonstrations of 2020.
But Pita Limjaroenrat, despite being supported by a majority coalition in the National Assembly, remains blocked on the steps of power because senators consider his profile too radical.
The second force in parliament, the powerful opposition Pheu Thai party, which is linked to former exiled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, reiterated on Friday that it continues to respect the coalition agreement.
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