Road to PM: A guide to the upcoming contest for Thailand’s top job

[webfact]

 

By Thai PBS World

 

Sixty-three candidates for prime minister have been nominated by 43 political parties contesting in the May 14 general election.

 

Thai PBS World offers a guide to the upcoming contest for Thailand’s top job.

 

How Thailand will get its next PM

 

Unlike its predecessors, the current Constitution, enacted in 2017, does not require the prime minister to be an elected member of Parliament.

 

Under this charter, political parties contesting a general election can each nominate up to three prime ministerial candidates via the Election Commission.

 

The House of Representatives is empowered to consider and approve the appointment of one of those candidates as prime minister. However, a transitory clause empowers the Senate to join the Lower House in selecting the prime minister for five years after Parliament first convened under the 2017 charter – which was in 2019. To win the PM’s post, a candidate needs to win a majority of votes from both Houses.

 

To qualify for the parliamentary vote, candidates must be from a party that wins at least 25 MP seats, or 5% of the total 500 seats, and endorsed by at least one-tenth of the House (50 MPs).

 

Following the previous election in 2019, only five parties qualified to join the race for the PM seat – Pheu Thai, Palang Pracharath, Bhumjaithai, the Democrats, and Future Forward.

 

If no PM candidate wins majority support from both Houses, resulting in an impasse where a new government cannot be formed, the charter’s transitional clause allows Parliament to consider outsiders for the post of prime minister. In this case, support from at least two-thirds of parliamentarians in attendance is required to suspend the rule that PM candidates must be party nominees.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/road-to-pm-a-guide-to-the-upcoming-contest-for-thailands-top-job/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-04-21

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

 

 

[dinsdale]

"After next month’s election, senators will still be able to join the newly elected MPs in a joint parliamentary session to vote on the next prime minister."

This is the elephant in the room. The elephant outside of the room if you like is the military.

Edited April 22, 2023 by metisdead
Oversize font reset to normal.

[ikke1959]

Everybody knows how the new PM will appointed/elected

[Geir Rasch]

But a PM without majority in the parlament will be unable to work. Even the senate would know this and will not wote for a PM not wanted by the parlament.

[fulhamster]

17 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Everybody knows how the new PM will appointed/elected

I think it's already been decided