BANGKOK: Thailand’s Constitutional Court ordered a temporary suspension of prime ministerial hopeful Pita Limjaroenrat as a lawmaker on Wednesday (Jul 19), delivering its announcement as parliament convened for what could be his final shot at becoming premier.
The court decision came after accepting a case that alleges Pita, leader of the election-winning Move Forward Party, was unqualified to run in a May 14 election because he held shares in a media company, in violation of electoral rules.
The 42-year-old, US-educated liberal Pita lost his initial bid for the premiership in a parliamentary vote last week and needs the backing of more than half of the bicameral parliament to be become the next prime minister.
He must overcome fierce resistance from rivals at odds with his party’s anti-establishment ambitions, including a royalist military that appointed members of the Senate that denied Pita in his initial bid.
It was not immediately clear whether the court announcement would scuttle Wednesday’s vote, with lawmakers still debating Pita’s nomination.
TWIN CHALLENGES FOR PITA
Parliamentary rules written by the military after a 2014 coup and skewed in its favour are making it extremely difficult for Pita to form a government with an eight-party alliance that continues to back him.
The court decision, its second active case involving Pita, came as lawmakers debated whether Pita should be allowed to contest a second vote on the premiership, with political rivals arguing he had already been rejected.
Source: CNA
