Yingluck prays for no more coups as new coalition allies ready to sign pact
In a comment marking the ninth anniversary of the coup that ousted her government, former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra said she hoped this would be the last.
Yingluck’s government was ousted by a military coup on May 22, 2014, led by then-Army chief Prayut Chan-o-cha.
In a Facebook post, Yingluck said: “My feelings on the [2014] coup anniversary this year are different from before.”
As the May 14 election results show, people cannot stand by a government that has risen to power undemocratically, the post read.
“Thailand has been living under the shadow of a dictatorship and the despair of people who have suffered social and economic challenges,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Move Forward Party and its seven coalition allies are scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding on Monday at 4pm – the exact time the country was taken over by the military in 2014.
This coalition alliance will guarantee Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat 313 votes, though he will require 376 “ayes” to win the PM’s post.
Thailand’s 13th coup was triggered by the political turmoil sparked by the government’s proposed amnesty bill.
The bill brought supporters of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), led by former Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban, to the streets.
The protesters claimed the bill was devised to pave the way for former PM Thaksin Shinawatra’s return.
Yingluck, who is also Thaksin's sister, reportedly fled the country in September 2017 and has been living in self-imposed exile since. She was found guilty in absentia over charges of abuse of power and sentenced to five years in prison.
