House speaker consults law experts to see if Pita can run for PM’s post again

Prasert Jantararuangtong, coalition partner Pheu Thai Party’s secretary-general, said on Saturday that he has learned that House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha was discussing the matter with his legal advisers.

Pita was the only person nominated for the top job at the first round of parliamentary vote last Thursday. However, he failed to secure majority support from the 500 MPs and 250 senators, receiving just 324 of the 375 votes required. Of the 705 lawmakers present, 182 voted against Pita and 199 abstained.

Move Forward has, however, declared that it will not give up and Pita has declared confidently that he is still in the running for the PM’s post despite failing to get enough votes on Thursday.

However, some senators have said that nominating Pita again will be tantamount to submitting a repeat motion in a single parliamentary session, which is against the parliamentary meeting regulations.

Prasert, meanwhile, said that Pheu Thai will nominate Pita again at the next joint meeting if that is the resolution reached by the Move Forward-led eight-party coalition.

“But we also have to take into account the House speaker’s consultation [with legal advisers],” the veteran politician said.

Separately, Srettha Thavisin, one of Pheu Thai’s three PM candidates, said on Saturday that he was unaware of a rumour that the party will nominate him instead of Pita at the next balloting session.

“I was not at the Pheu Thai, Move Forward meeting on Friday,” the property tycoon turned politician said.

He was referring to a meeting the parties reportedly held to discuss the coalition’s single PM candidate to be nominated at the next Parliamentary vote.

In a related development, Thai Liberal Party leader Pol General Sereepisuth Temeeyaves blamed Move Forward’s “high standards” for its failure to secure enough support for Pita.

When asked to comment on Pita’s chance of getting enough votes in the second round, he said: “Move Forward does not have a good chance. This is mostly due to the barriers they have set up around them. They are against this and that. Their standards are too high.”

Sereepisuth, a former national police chief, is the only MP of his party, which is part of the Move Forward-led coalition.

However, unlike some senators, Sereepisuth reckoned on Saturday that no laws or regulations are preventing Pita from getting nominated again on Wednesday.

He also believes Pheu Thai will allow Pita to be renominated without naming any of its three candidates to contest with him.

If Pita is still unable to secure majority support in the second round of voting, Sereepisuth said Move Forward and Pheu Thai – the coalition’s two largest partners – would need to discuss whether Move Forward would “step out” of the contest. If Move Forward agrees, Pheu Thai can then nominate its candidate for the parliamentary vote, he said.