People’s Party to decide September 1 on backing coalition in PM vote
Coalition leaders met the People’s Party, but no pledge was made, with a final decision on support for the new prime minister due September 1.
- The People's Party will hold an internal meeting on September 1 to make a final decision on whether to support the ruling coalition in the upcoming prime minister vote.
- Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai led a coalition delegation to meet with the People's Party to formally request their support for PM candidate Chaikasem Nitisiri.
- To secure backing, the coalition agreed to accept all of the People's Party's conditions and proposed constitutional reform as a key priority for a new government.
- The coalition also committed to dissolving parliament within four months of forming a government as part of the negotiations.
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, serving as acting prime minister, on Sunday (August 31) led coalition leaders into talks with the People’s Party in a bid to secure support for the vote on Thailand’s 32nd prime minister.
The ruling coalition plans to nominate Chaikasem Nitisiri as the new prime minister.
Phumtham, accompanied by leaders of Pheu Thai, the Democrat Party and Prachachart, met at the People’s Party headquarters, calling the current political situation a crisis that demanded joint solutions.
The United Thai Nation Party was absent from the meeting, with its representative unable to attend due to other engagements.
“We believe this is a time of political crisis. It is something we must resolve together. That is why the coalition parties have come to discuss matters with the People’s Party,” he said.
He explained that the People’s Party had presented its own conditions, and the coalition had agreed to accept them in full. In return, coalition proposals were conveyed for consideration.
“As for our proposals, we are only asking that they be considered. Whether they are implemented or not will not affect our willingness to support the formation of a government,” Phumtham said.
“We also discussed that many of our proposals should focus on the justice process, because what we are putting forward is a commitment not to interfere in judicial proceedings. All cases, without exception, should be allowed to proceed fully,” he added.
Phumtham added that the coalition had stressed one key priority should a new government be formed: constitutional reform. “The most important agenda is to amend the constitution and reset the political rules so that politics can function more effectively,” he said, noting that other issues would be discussed in detail later.
However, the People’s Party has not committed to supporting any candidate and will deliberate internally at a party meeting on Monday, September 1.
Phumtham concluded by saying, “We are ready to dissolve parliament within four months at the latest. If the timeframe is shortened, as proposed, we are also prepared to do so sooner.”
As coalition leaders exited the People’s Party headquarters, supporters of the coalition presented red flowers to Pheu Thai representatives. At the same time, crowds backing the People’s Party jeered and shouted slogans such as “No to Pheu Thai,” “Get out,” “When will you dig up the bombs?” and “Dissolve parliament, return power to the people.”
On August 29, the Constitutional Court ruled that Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra had committed a serious ethical violation in connection with a leaked phone conversation with Hun Sen, president of Cambodia’s Senate. The verdict removed her from office, triggering the process of selecting a new prime minister.
In the wake of the ruling, political parties began manoeuvring for support. Pheu Thai, Paetongtarn’s party, turned to the People’s Party, the largest opposition bloc in the House of Representatives, in an effort to secure backing for its candidate.
