BANGKOK - Thailand’s newly elected Parliament selected its House Speaker and deputies on Tuesday, bringing the Move Forward Party-led coalition one step closer to its goal of forming the next government.
The eight-party alliance that makes up the majority of the Lower House with 312 MPs succeeded in electing veteran politician Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, from the Prachachat Party, to the top legislative post.
The 79-year-old MP, who was a House speaker and deputy prime minister in previous administrations, faced no contest from non-allied parties which are also part of the 500-member House of Representatives.
The selection of the First Deputy House Speaker, however, was a battle between Move Forward’s (MFP) Padipat Suntiphada and United Thai Nation Party’s (UTN) Witthaya Kaewparadai after the MPs from opposing ends of the House were nominated.
Mr Padipat, 42, won with 312 ballots from the 496 lawmakers who voted. Mr Witthaya received 105 votes. There were 77 abstained ballots and two spoilt votes.
The UTN, which has outgoing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha among its leadership, clinched just 36 seats in the May 14 election.
Pheu Thai Party’s Pichet Chuamuangphan, 60, was appointed the Second Deputy House Speaker without any opposition.
The House Speaker directs parliamentary proceedings and handles administrative and legal matters. These include deciding when Parliament picks the prime minister, with the vote expected in mid-July. Shortly after the vote, local media reported that Mr Wan Muhamad resigned as Prachachat Party leader as the House Speaker cannot be an executive committee member of a political party.
The selection of the coalition’s candidates for the House Speaker posts is a triumph for the grouping and marks the end of a weeks-long tussle between MFP and Pheu Thai. They were entangled in a public spat after both staked claims to the House Speaker seat, stoking fears that the alliance would crumble before it even took off.
On Monday night, the partners said they reached an agreement to endorse a third party, Mr Wan Muhamad, for the post. His Prachachat Party, which has its supporter base in the far south of the country, is the third-largest in the coalition bloc with nine MPs. They also agreed to split the Deputy House Speaker roles between Move Forward and Pheu Thai.
“The results show the unity of the coalition parties and reflect our vision for change,” said MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat after Tuesday’s sitting.
But the coalition still faces other challenges, including having to go up against a conservative-leaning Senate that could thwart its attempt to elect Mr Pita as Thailand’s 30th prime minister.
The MFP, which campaigned on progressive and liberal policies, won the May 14 election with 151 seats and its ally Pheu Thai won 141 seats. The two parties overwhelmingly beat conservative parties that are part of the outgoing government.
For Mr Pita to be appointed as PM, the coalition must muster at least 376 votes from the 750-member Parliament, comprising the 500 elected MPs and the military-appointed 250-member Senate.
Political analyst Napon Jatusripitak, a visiting fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, expects the PM post to be contested by non-allied parties, including the UTN that challenged the MFP for the Deputy House Speaker role.
“(Tuesday’s) challenge could be a way for the UTN to signal to the Senate or partners that it might have the numbers for a shot at the premiership,” said Dr Napon, noting that the UTN won about 70 votes from the floor which was “not bad”.
He said the last-minute compromise on the role of House Speaker points to the amount of politicking that is going on. He also speculated that should the MFP leader fail to become PM, Pheu Thai could form an alternative coalition with parties from the outgoing government.
Several MPs and senators have voiced opposition to Mr Pita as PM, citing MFP’s intention to amend the controversial lese majeste law that protects the monarchy from insult.
Mr Pita is also being investigated for alleged offences linked to his ownership of media shares when he contested the general election, which is illegal according to Thai law.
These legal issues will take a while to conclude, but they might pose a threat to Mr Pita in the long term should he overcome the more immediate challenges, said Dr Napon.
