New PM will be elected by month-end, says Wissanu

[webfact]

New PM will be elected by month-end, says Wissanu

By THE NATION

 

Officials yesterday prepare the conference hall at TOT headquarters for the convening of the House of Representatives tomorrow. The session will elect the house speaker and deputies.

 

THAILAND SHOULD have a new prime minister within this month, though it will take a while for the new Cabinet to take office, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said yesterday.

 

Though it has been two months after the March 24 elections, the dust has yet to settle as the pro-junta Phalang Pracharat Party and anti-junta Pheu Thai vie to form a coalition government with both parties almost neck and neck in the number of MPs whose support they claim. 

 

A Phalang Pracharat source claimed yesterday that they had the support of as many as 252 MPs to form the government. 

 

The source had said earlier that its bloc comprised Phalang Pracharat with 115 seats; Democrat Party with 52, Bhumjaithai 51, Charthaipattana 10, Action Coalition for Thailand with five, Chartpattana with three, Thai Local Power with three, Thai Forest Conservation Party with two, and 11 seats from 11 minor parties. 

 

File photo: Mingkwan Sangsuwan

 

The source claimed their bloc will be able to gather 259-260 seats if the five New Economics Party MPs join the pro-junta camp now that party leader Mingkwan Sangsuwan has stepped down, along with two or three MPs from Puea Chart. 

 

Meanwhile, the anti-junta bloc has been further weakened after Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit was suspended as MP by the Constitutional Court yesterday and will be barred from entering Parliament today. The court accepted a case against him over his alleged shareholdings in a media company in the lead-up to the elections. Thanathorn may be barred from politics for 20 years and may face 10 years in jail. 

 

Their Majesties the King and Queen will preside over the opening of Parliament today at Vithes Samosorn Hall at 3pm, while tomorrow, the Senate will choose its speaker and deputies. Also tomorrow, the House of Representatives will select the speaker and deputies. 

 

Once the speakers are royally endorsed, the speaker of the House of Representatives, who serves as Parliament president, will hold a meeting of both houses to choose the prime minister. 

 

The person for the country’s top post will be chosen from parties’ PM candidates’ list and the winning candidate must get a majority – 376 votes. 

 

Once a PM is chosen and royally endorsed, he will form the next government and get his Cabinet to swear allegiance to the country and the King. Then the Cabinet will have 15 days to announce its policies in Parliament, Wissanu said. 

 

Meanwhile, as the two blocs scramble to gather the most number of MPs to form a government, Mingkwan quit his job as leader of the New Economics Party after what he said was an “accomplished mission”. 

 

Mingkwan had earlier thrown his support behind the anti-junta bloc, but now his resignation has raised doubts about whether his party MPs will maintain his earlier stance. 

 

File photo: Phumtham Wechayachai

 

However, Pheu Thai secretary-general Phumtham Wechayachai said yesterday that he believes the New Economics Party will keep its promise to join the anti-junta bloc despite apparent disagreements within the party. He said he believes all six party-list New Economics MPs will join a Pheu Thai-led coalition, because previous discussions had included all party members, not just Mingkwan. 

 

Phumtham said he would ask Mingkwan to explain his decision and whether he had been forced to step down. 

 

Mingkwan said he had been responsible for drafting his party’s platform of a new economic system and selling the idea to voters, while other party executives oversaw different areas, such as recruiting new members, raising funds and management. 

 

“Now that the election has been completed, I consider this a suitable time to resign as leader of the New Economics Party,” Mingkwan said in his resignation letter. In the letter, he also clarified that he would retain his party membership and seat as a party-list MP.

 

It is believed that Mingkwan stepped down due to conflicts within the party, as many of its candidates were demanding that their campaign costs be reimbursed. 

 

One source said that each candidate had spent anything between Bt200,000 to Bt2 million, and won enough votes to garner six party-list seats, though the party failed to win any constituency seats. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30369913

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-05-24

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[harada]

I don't think you'll need three guesses here.

[Lungstib]

Just a little more fixing, a few more court cases and some 'promises' to those democracy loving men who will join any coalition for the right ministry, and hey presto, welcome to the new boss, same as the old boss.

We did get fooled again!

[Sticky Wicket]

Mingkwan Sangsuwan looks like he's had his head in a vice

[holy cow cm]

It just keeps getting dirtier and dirtier and the majority of most all true voting Thai people who did not want this will have no way of washing their hands of this seemingly foul system.

[Eligius]

We are all agog - unbelievably tense with doubt, uncertainty and excitement - on the edges of our seats, wondering and scratching our heads who the next P.M. could possibly be. There has not been even the slightest sign for the past 5 years of who it will be. Could it be Thanathorn after all? Might it be Sudarat? Could it be Prayut?

 

It's so, so, SO difficult to call this one.

I give up. It's beyond my powers of future prediction and projection!

[legend49]

Which month, which year and who cares?

[Hayduke]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

New PM will be elected by month-end

 

As the great, epic, thrill-packed Lakorn goes on...

 

Will surprise candidates emerge? Will shifty, rascally scoundrels attempt to undermine the sanctity of a pure and noble election? Will evil conspirators attempt to usurp rightful power and wrest the ‘Mandate of Heaven’ from the country’s one and only savior? Will the lovely heroine, Miss Thailand, escape the hordes of profane, blasphemous villains and at last find perfect peace and eternal love with the man of her dreams?

 

Tune in next week for the next dramatic, breathtaking episode of...“As the Junta Turns.”

 

 

Edited May 24, 2019 by Hayduke

[colinneil]

A certain person was overheard saying, if you lot dont vote for me, you will all get a punch in the mouth.????️‍♀️

[Dibbler]

Governance and accountability at the lowest its ever been in 30 years.  Another week of horse trading to 'decide' the PM.  Even former coup leaders were forced to move on after having fed at the trough beyond their welcome.  No longer, and the stench from this lakorn is rising!

[outsider]

1 hour ago, Sticky Wicket said:

Mingkwan Sangsuwan looks like he's had his head in a vice

 

I thought his head was melting...

[MellowYellow101]

1 hour ago, Sticky Wicket said:

Mingkwan Sangsuwan looks like he's had his head in a vice

Phumtham Wechayachai reminds me of a used car salesman from Essex 

Edited May 24, 2019 by MellowYellow101

[tigerfeet]

1 hour ago, Sticky Wicket said:

Mingkwan Sangsuwan looks like he's had his head in a vice

or threatened with a job on the sub  

[holy cow cm]

1 hour ago, Eligius said:

We are all agog - unbelievably tense with doubt, uncertainty and excitement - on the edges of our seats, wondering and scratching our heads who the next P.M. could possibly be. There has not been even the slightest sign for the past 5 years of who it will be. Could it be Thanathorn after all? Might it be Sudarat? Could it be Prayut?

 

It's so, so, SO difficult to call this one.

I give up. It's beyond my powers of future prediction and projection!

Sarcasm at its highest. 

[peter14]

Dirty business...  fear violence... 

[dave moir]

Looks cut and dried! ????

[worgeordie]

India has just had an election,and with the size of the country,

and the number of voters, they have the result very quickly,

while Thailand have made the process so difficult just to make

sure the incumbent PM stays in power,lots of fiddling,court cases,

chosen Senators,it really is a farce.

 

regards worgeordie

[spidermike007]

Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit was suspended. Had nothing to do with the law. It was all about keeping the young, and popular candidates at bay, and consolidating power. The army is desperate to maintain leadership, and they do not want to walk away from the power and money. This does not bode well for the nation, which desperately needs new blood, younger leadership, progressive ideas, real policy and most of all, competence and intelligence. The army has led the nation backwards for the past five years, and another five years under Prayuth will be disastrous for the nation, and especially for the average Thai. They may be good at bossing around their underlings, but they know nothing about running the country, the economy, and most of all, dealing with immigration issues, in a reasonable manner. The past five years was testament to that. 

[30la]

And another farce after that of the elections, for what election to the PM? You already know who it will be!

[Jimbo2014]

I feel dirty just for reading this.  ????

[THE REVERAND]

And the people of Thailand call this an honest election.  ???????

[neeray]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Thanathorn may be barred from politics for 20 years and may face 10 years in jail. 

If ever there was a situation that could cause a rebellion, here it is (above).

[inactiveposter]

The Who’s lyric, “meet the new boss, same as the old boss,” is brought to mind.

[soistalker]

If a new PM is chosen, the military can just remove him again. How many times has that happened so far? *I am asking*

I know with Yingluck and with Taksin, as I was in Thailand for both coups. Maybe someone with more knowledge can answer the question.

[TKDfella]

25 minutes ago, neeray said:

If ever there was a situation that could cause a rebellion, here it is (above).

Change that 'could' to 'should' and you'd be right. But it ain't gonna happen.

[Andrew65]

3 hours ago, Sticky Wicket said:

Mingkwan Sangsuwan looks like he's had his head in a vice

...probably did, literally!

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

New PM will be elected by month-end, says Wissanu

We don't even know who won the election yet... (unless the result was know all along)?

But I think we all know who it's going to be.

[Zack61]

New??????

5555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555.    555555555555555555555555555555. 555555555555555555555

[newatthis]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Thanathorn may be barred from politics for 20 years and may face 10 years in jail. 

And don't forget the "loan" issue. The whole party could be disbanded. That'll put the smiles on junta supporters.

 

 

Edited May 24, 2019 by newatthis

[connda]

Here comes the New PM, same as the Old PM.