Thailand held its general election on May 14, with the Move Forward Party emerging as the winner.
Under the leadership of prime minister hopeful Pita Limjaroenrat, the party won 151 seats in parliament and formed a coalition with seven political allies, namely Pheu Thai, Prachachat, Thai Liberal Party, Thai Sang Thai, Fair, Plung Sungkom Mai and Pue Thai Rumphlang.
Together, they have 312 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives. But for Mr Pita to become prime minister, he needs the approval from more than half of the 750-seat National Assembly, or at least 376 votes in either the House of Representatives alone or the Senate too.
Several senators remain undecided on whether they will support his premiership, while others have made it clear they will vote against him.
Currently, Mr Pita is caught in a controversy involving 42,000 shares in media firm ITV, which he claimed to manage on behalf of his family’s inheritance fund.
He was accused of violating the Constitution, which prohibits individuals from running in an election of Members of the House of Representatives if they are shareholders of any newspaper or mass media business.
Last week, the Move Forward Party raised questions about possible attempts to sabotage its leader, following a news report on Jun 11 that revealed discrepancies in documents used against his candidature.
Source: CNA
