Thai prime minister candidate Pita Limjaroenrat appealed to the country’s lawmakers to back his bid for the top job, as he rallied supporters days before a pivotal parliamentary vote to pick the country’s next leader.
Addressing crowds who gathered in central Bangkok on Sunday, the 42 year old urged the seating of the National Assembly due on July 13 and for a “return to normalcy,” by letting him take power and end nearly a decade of military-backed rule.
The new parliament includes 500 elected lawmakers in the lower house and 250 unelected military-appointed senators.
Pita’s eight-party coalition, which has staked a claim to forming Thailand’s next government following the May 14 election, currently commands a clear majority in the 500-member House of Representatives. But to secure the premiership, Pita still needs the support of more than a quarter of the 250-member Senate — a body appointed by the royalist military establishment following a 2014 coup - that will vote alongside the lower chamber.
“If the popular mandate is denied and abnormality continues, I don’t know when such a golden opportunity will come around again,” Pita told the cheering crowds. “We’ve come too far to lose. We’ll reach the finish line together.”
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The stakes are high before the parliamentary vote, which could be the first of many. A failure by Pita to get enough support from the Senate could mean the unraveling of his coalition or even rule by a minority-led government.
A drawn-out government formation may also further spook investors. The nation’s benchmark stock index is the worst performer in Asia this year, and the baht is the second-biggest decliner in Southeast Asia since the May 14 vote.
Many senators oppose a key platform of Pita’s progressive Move Forward Party to amend the lese majeste law, or Article 112 of the Thai criminal code, which penalizes criticism of the king and other royals. As Pita has ruled out alliances with conservative parties, there is little alternative but to win as many Senate votes as possible to reach the 376 votes needed to secure the premiership. With days to go, Pita is still short about 65 Senate votes, however.
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Sunday’s rally in Bangkok was seen as a bid to sustain enthusiasm for the May 14 election results, which amounted to a blow to the royalist establishment. Since the polls, Pita has traversed the country to energize supporters in the hope of pressuring the Senate to back him.
“If you don’t back down, I won’t back down,” Pita told supporters. “It’s time for this country to be driven by hope, not fear.”
There’s no deadline for when the next leader has to be elected, and the parliament may reconvene on July 19 for a second round of voting if no clear winner emerges on Thursday. It’s not yet clear if other parties will nominate someone to challenge Pita’s bid.
