Explained: Why Pita Limjaroenrat's Path To Become The Next Thailand PM Is Riddled With Challenges
Thailand's prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat has been beset by the Election Commission moving court seeking his disqualification as a lawmaker.
Thailand's prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat and his Move Forward party's aspiration of leading the next government is riddled with challenges. Besides a crucial Parliament vote on his premiership, Limjaroenrat has been beset by the Election Commission moving court seeking his disqualification as a lawmaker.
What Happened In The May Thailand Election?
In the May election, Pita's progressive Move Forward Party (MFP) emerged as the single largest party, winning 151 of the 500 seats of Thailand's Parliament Lower House. The win was seen as voters rejecting the rule of military-linked parties that ran the kingdom for nearly a decade since the 2014 coup.
After its victory, Pita, a Harvard graduate and former tech executive, formed a coalition with seven other opposition parties to reach a total of 312 seats in the Lower House.
How Is The Parliamentary Vote Shaping Up?
Despite a stunning victory in May's election, Pita faces an uncertain path to the premiership.
Even though Pita's eight-party alliance has 312 seats in parliament, it would need at least 64 more votes to be elected prime minister.
In simple terms, the alliance needs a total of at least 376 votes in a joint sitting of the bicameral legislature, which includes the 250-member upper house appointed during military rule.
One senator resigned earlier this week, lowering the minimum amount of votes required to 375 to become prime minister.
However, Pita said he was confident in himself ahead of the parliamentary vote, BBC reported. He also stressed that there were attempts to "block the majority government of the people from getting to run the country in various ways".
"I will try my best in showing my vision and explaining all senator's doubts," BBC quoted Pita as saying.
What Are The Legal Cases Pita Is Facing?
Two cases being pursued in Constitutional Court may derail Pita's prime ministerial bid.
A complaint has been filed by a lawyer against Pita and his Move Forward Party over an alleged plan to reform a law prohibiting royal insults. The petition said such a move amounted to an attempt "to overthrow the democratic regime of government with the king as a head of state", Reuters reported.
Pita's party's plan to amend article 112 of the criminal code, which punishes insults to the crown by up to 15 years in jail, has kicked off a controversy in Thailand even though it found massive backing among young voters.
In a further setback, Democrat Party politician Chaichana Dechdecho told Reuters that 25 lawmakers pf his party would not back Pita in the parliamentary vote because of his plans to amend article 112.
Secondly, Thailand's Election Commission urged the Constitutional Court to suspend Pita over allegations that he broke campaign rules as an MP.
The EC has alleged that Pita should be disqualified because of his past ownership of shares in a media company, which violates electoral rules.
Under Thailand's election rules, a candidate is prohibited from being an owner or shareholder of a media company.
If Pita is convicted, he could be banned from politics and face prison sentence. However, under election rules, a suspended MP can still run for prime minister.
On his part, Pita, 42, said he had owned shares in Independent Television (iTV), which were inherited from his father. However, Pita said he transferred the shares from his ownership. Independent Television closed in 2007.
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