Thai Pro-Democracy Leader Pita to Take Another Shot at PM Job

Patpicha Tanakasempipat
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(Bloomberg) -- Thai pro-democracy leader Pita Limjaroenrat will attempt a second time to become the nation’s prime minister, after a previous try last week was thwarted by conservative lawmakers and military-appointed senators.

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Pita, 42, the leader of the Move Forward Party that emerged as the single-largest party in the May general election, hopes for his support base to increase in the vote due July 19. He had secured 324 nods last week, 51 short of the number needed to secure the premiership.

“The eight-party coalition agreed to nominate me to be Thailand’s 30th prime minister on July 19,” he said after a meeting coalition partners on Monday evening. The allies reaffirmed their support to his candidacy, quelling speculation that there was rift within the group.

His comments came on a day when members of the 250-strong Senate cited parliamentary provisions to say that he can’t run for a second time, which adds a new hurdle for Pita’s attempt at government formation. Any delay in putting in place a new administration will hurt an economy that is already grappling with the effects of a global downturn in demand for goods.

Addressing some senators’ claim that he cannot be nominated again, Pita said a prime minister nomination is different from a motion, which if it fails cannot be raised twice in the same parliamentary session.

The main obstacle to Pita’s bid is the old guards’ opposition to Move Forward’s agenda to amend the lese majeste law, or Article 112 of the Thai criminal code, which penalizes criticism of the king and other royals.

Pita, who Monday reiterated that he won’t back down from that campaign promise, also said he will eventually step aside to let a coalition partner take the lead. That will happen only should he fail in his second attempt, and also if a bill brought by Move Forward to strip the Senate of its voting power fails to be passed.

On Wednesday, Pita will still be the lone candidate for the top job, with the conservatives, including the Palang Pracharath Party, yet to name a candidate to challenge Pita.

The Move Forward party won 151 seats in the May 14 election, making it the biggest winner. Pita cobbled together an alliance of eight parties that hold more than 60% of the 500 seats in the House of Representatives. But he still needs the support of senators to reach the minimum 375 combined parliament votes to become prime minister. One senator resigned last week.

On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court is also due to meet to consider a petition from the poll panel seeking Pita’s disqualification as a lawmaker, because it found he was in breach of election rules.

--With assistance from Pathom Sangwongwanich and Suttinee Yuvejwattana.

(Updates with details throughout)

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