The Progressive Party finds it difficult to… move forward.

Judgment before "G hour"

Thailand's Constitutional Court has suspended Prime Minister candidate and Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat from parliament . The decision came after the court accepted a lawsuit alleging that Pita Limjaroenrat was disqualified from running in the May 14 general election because he held shares in a media company, violating election rules.

Mr. Pita Limjaroenrat is under great pressure after the ruling of the Thai Constitutional Court. Photo: CNN

Mr. Pita has repeatedly argued that he did not violate any rules by owning shares in the media company iTV because the company has not engaged in mass media activities for many years. But with the latest ruling, it can be seen that the arguments of the leader of the Progressive Party were not able to convince the judges. Mr. Pita will have 15 days to appeal.

Mr. Pita's Forward Party won a resounding victory in Thailand's general election this year, making the 42-year-old politician the sole candidate for the position of Thai Prime Minister to replace Mr. Prayut Chan-o-cha, who announced his retirement from politics on July 11.

According to the rules, Mr. Pita will need to go through a vote in the National Assembly and win 376 out of 750 votes in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to become Prime Minister of Thailand. But in the vote held on July 14, he did not get enough votes. Only 324 lawmakers supported him, including only 13 out of 249 senators.

With this result, the Thai National Assembly is expected to re-run the election on July 19 and 20. It is not yet clear whether the Constitutional Court's ruling will disrupt the Thai National Assembly's voting schedule, while lawmakers are still debating Pita's nomination at their most recent meeting on July 13.

According to regulations, a candidate for Thai Prime Minister does not necessarily have to be a member of parliament, but according to observers, Mr. Pita Limjaroenrat's suspension as a legislator will still have certain effects on the results of the votes if the election takes place at this time.

Does Mr. Pita still have a chance?

According to Thai media, police lined up outside the parliament building after news of Mr. Pita's suspension. Political commentators said that the Constitutional Court's decision could trigger large street protests as the Forward Party enjoys widespread support across the country.

The party won the most seats and votes in Thailand's general election this year by campaigning for bold reforms that would challenge big business, end compulsory military service, remove military influence from politics and reform the country's lèse-majesté law.

However, the Forward Party faces many obstacles. In addition to legal troubles, Mr. Pita also faces strong opposition from many senators to reforming the lese majeste law – a law designed to protect the sanctity of the Thai Royal Family, and criticism of the monarchy in this country can be punished by up to 15 years in prison.

Facing opposition from conservative lawmakers, the Forward Party formed an alliance with seven other parties, including Pheu Thai, Prachachat, Thai Sang Thai, Seri Ruam Thai, Fair, Pue Thai Rumphlang and Plung Sungkom Mai, hoping to win the necessary number of votes in the Thai National Assembly election.

But this plan has not yet helped the Forward Party win the first election on July 14. According to Thai press, if the second vote to choose Thailand's Prime Minister is postponed to another day, the Pheu Thai Party, the second-placed party in the recent general election and is in alliance with the Forward Party, will have the opportunity to nominate their candidate.

Who will be the next candidate?

According to observers, if Mr. Pita cannot run, the Pheu Thai Party will nominate Mr. Srettha Thavisin, a real estate tycoon and advisor to Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Or another candidate who has the potential to be nominated is Mr. Chaikasem Nitisiri - Head of the Strategy and Political Orientation Committee of the Pheu Thai Party.

Mr. Srettha Thavisin could be nominated by the Pheu Thai Party as the Prime Minister candidate if Mr. Pita Limjaroenrat fails to overturn the verdict. Photo: Bangkok Post

In another scenario, the Bangkok Post newspaper commented that the Pheu Thai Party could “turn around” to join hands with the conservatives and form a new coalition, which of course does not include the Forward Party, if Mr. Pita cannot overturn the Constitutional Court's ruling.

Many Thai scholars also predict the risk of defeat for Mr. Pita and the Forward Party in the second parliamentary vote to elect Prime Minister. Dr. Wanwichit Boonprong, a political science lecturer at Rangsit University, told the Bangkok Post that the chance of Pita leading the Forward Party becoming the new Prime Minister has decreased sharply before the second round of voting. “Before the first round of voting on July 13, the chance was less than 50%, but now it is only 30%,” Mr. Wanwichit said.

Sharing the same view, Dr. Thinbangtieo, a political science lecturer from Thailand’s Burapha University, also told the Bangkok Post that Mr. Pita has little chance of becoming Prime Minister in the second round of voting because most senators are not satisfied with him. “The chance for Mr. Pita now is only 30%,” Dr. Thinbangtieo said.

Nguyen Khanh

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ong-pita-bi-dinh-chi-tu-cach-nghi-si-thai-lan-dang-tien-len-kho-tien-len-post256915.html