BANGKOK, May 16 (TNA) – Leader of the anti-junta Future
Forward Party Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit announces his bid to lead a
coalition government as an allegation against him is forwarded to the
Constitution Court.
The billionaire-turned-politician made the announcement at
the FFP’s headquarters on Thursday, nearly two months after the March 24 election. His party which was established just in March
last year has emerged as a political powerhouse with 80 MPs, the third largest
party.
Defying the pro-junta Palang Pracharath Party’s (PPRP) bid
to form a coalition government and nominate Prayut Chan-o-cha as a civilian
prime minister, Thanathorn said he would lead an attempt to form a coalition.
“In the state of despair following the election … no one
stands up to stop the military junta from clinging onto power, the FFP will
lead a coalition government and I am ready to be prime minister to stop the
junta,” Thanathorn said.
FFP is one of the seven-party bloc under the leadership of
Pheu Thai Party, who won 136 seats in the House of Representatives. Thanothorn, however, did not clarify whether
the Phue-Thai-led bloc had been abolished; saying his bid was not the bloc’s
decision.
Just minutes before the news briefing, the Election
Commission (EC) announced that it had forward the case of Thanathorn to the
Constitution Court, asking the court to review allegation that he has violated
media shareholding rules.
The serious charge against Thanathorn could result in his
disqualification.
Following media reports and complaints, the EC’s
investigators found that Thanathorn owned or held shares in V-Luck Media Company
when he registered for the election, in violation of the Constitution that
prohibits election candidate from holding shares in a media company.
Earlier, Thanathorn and his lawyer had testified and
provided evidence, claiming that he had transferred all his shares before
registering his candidacy.
At the press conference, the FFP leader said that he would
begin approaching all political parties in his bid to form a coalition and stop
the junta from prolonging its power. (TNA)
