Thailand’s winning candidate Pita Limjaroenrat loses parliamentary vote for becoming PM

Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of Thailand’s pro-reform party which won the most seats in May’s election, on Thursday failed to get the desire majority vote in the parliament to become the next prime minister.

The 42-year-old, who heads the Move Forward part, could not muster up the support due to host of abstentions and votes against him.

According to the new election rules, which was amended post the 2014 military coup, the party with the most parliament seats needs the backing of some military-appointed senators in the parliament.

Pita failed to secure 375 votes in the 749-member parliament. Only 324 people supported him, while 182 voted against him. And 199 lawmakers abstained, AFP reported.

Pita’s eight-party alliance controls 312 seats in the lower house and he needed support from some of the 249 members of the conservative-leaning upper house, which was appointed by the military after the coup.

Reason for setback

Pita’s defeat in the parliament is attributed to his Move Forward party’s electoral promise that seeks to amend the law that prohibits insulting the monarchy.

A few lawmakers accused Pita of stoking tensions and seeking to undermine the royal family.

“It’s clear that this operation is aiming to overthrow [the royals]. How can we, the senators, support you to do this?” one senator, Seree Suwanpanont, said, according to the Guardian.

The latest setback would unlikely hold Pita from running again, as a repeat of the ballot is scheduled to take place next week, for which two days have been allotted.

Gravitas: Will Thailand get an anti-monarchy prime minister?

It is believed that Move Forward’s coalition partner, Pheu Thai, the party associated with the exiled leader Thaksin Shinawatra, will put forward a candidate for either the second or third ballot.

However, it is not going to be smooth sailing for Pita, who faces the threat of parliamentary suspension, and two cases filed against him and his party.

A day before the vote, the Election Commission recommended his suspension from parliament over allegations he broke campaign rules — a move the MFP branded as an "abuse of power."

The recommendation followed a probe into Pita's ownership of shares in a media company, prohibited under Thai law.

According to reports, the station has not broadcast since 2007, and Pita has said the shares were inherited from his father.

Protest imminent?

The development is likely to provoke people to go on street protests as they had turned out in large numbers in May to oust the military junta rule after being fed up with their corruption-laden bureaucracy.

On Wednesday evening, crowds had gathered in central Bangkok, with some holding signs that read “Respect my vote” and “Senators don’t vote against the people’s will”.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE