BANGKOK, July 7 (TNA) – Move Forward Party’s prime minister candidate Pita Limjaroenrat has enough support from the upper house to become the next prime minister but additional support needs to be sought in case senators change their mind during the vote in the joint sitting of parliament on July 13, said MFP deputy leader Sirikanya Tansakul.
After many senators changed their stance, saying they decided not to vote for Mr. Pita to become the new prime minister, Sirikanya said this could happen and the MFP had prepared for this possibility.
Although Mr. Pita has received enough support from the Senate after negotiations, the party must continue to seek more support in reserves in case some may change their mind. It cannot be predicted what may happen during the vote.
As for the news that fewer than 10 senators will vote for Mr. Pita, she said this is not the case according to the party’s data. The party is confident that its prime minister candidate will secure enough support in the first voting on July 13.
She denied rumours that the party used money to buy votes from senators, saying it was absolutely untrue, as the party only relied on negotiation.
When asked about what they would do if the first round of voting for Prime Minister did not pass, Ms. Sirikanya stated that they have not yet discussed with the coalition parties how they would proceed.
In the event that the senators set conditions for voting in support of Mr. Pita, she asked them to adhere to the principles of democracy, the majority rule.
We only request respect for the voices of the people who have chosen us as the party with the highest number of votes to form the government and to gain significant support in the parliament. This is to ensure that Thailand moves forward,” said Ms. Sirikanya. (TNA)
