Thailand is facing a deep political crisis as Pita loses key vote and top court takes up complaints

[webfact]

The controversial Article 112 of the Criminal Code on lèse-majesté was debated openly in parliament on Thursday with Mr Pita Limjaroenrat arguing that reform of the law would help to protect the dignity of the Monarchy while Move Forward Party Secretary-general, Chaitawat Tulathon, said no one should be jailed for defamation. In reply, Senator Somchai Sawangkarn described the Move Forward Party as a dangerous cult with extreme views that threatened the peace of the kingdom as he launched a scathing attack on what he called attempts to coerce the Senate through online social media activism.

Thai politics took a step further into what could be a serious political crisis on Thursday when parliament failed to elect list MP Pita Limjaroenrat as Thailand’s 30th Prime Minister even after he was the only nominee before parliament supported by an eight-party coalition representing 72% of voters and 62% of seats in the House of Representatives. In an often ill-tempered and fiery debate, opposition to Mr Pita came from the Senate and MPs aligned with the outgoing government which decisively lost the May 14th General Election.

 

With two serious petitions before the Constitutional Court against both Mr Pita and the Move Forward Party itself, taken up only on Wednesday, the day before the key parliamentary vote, there are fears that the situation may deteriorate further if the court subsequently acts against the prime ministerial nominee and the winning party in that poll.

 

The Thai parliament sitting in joint session on Thursday failed to elect Move Forward’s Pita Limjaroenrat as Thailand’s 30th Prime Minister in a sometimes heated session in which many of the issues currently exercising the country were aired before Senators and MPs.

 

by Joseph O' Connor

Top photo: Pita Limjaroenrat after the vote in parliament and a heated six-hour debate

 

Full story: https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2023/07/13/thailand-faces-political-crisis-pita-limjaroenrat-loses-parliament-vote-pm/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Examiner 2023-07-14

 

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[pomchop]

Coups in spite of some peoples idea that they are the way to get rid of elected officials they don't like are generally not a good thing...once the generals get their and their buddies noses in the trough and redo the rules to suit their interest they don't much like it when the voters overwhelming reject them.

 

What a mess when appointed coup members can defy the will of the voters.

[Pique Dard]

29 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thai politics took a step further into what could be a serious political crisis

it won't last! if prayut doesn't show up, his  colleagues are always on the lookout to justify their intervention

[flyingtlger]

Say, "Pity Pita, Pita Pita, Pity Pita" real fast....Sounds like the like all the crying from Pitas' supporters ????....

[2baht]

Let's see what the duped majority of voters does about it! ???? 

[prakhonchai nick]

7 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Let's see what the duped majority of voters does about it! ???? 

SFA.   They haven't got the guts to do anything. Mai Phen Rai!!!!!!!!!!

[pomchop]

Roll the tanks....generals and friends get richer....people finally get fed up and vote them out....generals don't like it...roll more tanks, repeat.

[sammieuk1]

Colossal cluster what was the point of the elections its now some kind of quasi paramilitary state in operation here????  

[ThailandRyan]

I really feel sorry for my Thai friends and there families.  Many only want a brighter future for Thailand. The continued belief that tourism will save this country and propel it forward is definitely not sustainable. Industry and innovation needs to be pushed to the forefront, but the ideas are always pushed away by the current government......sad

[arithai12]

1 hour ago, 2baht said:

Let's see what the duped majority of voters does about it! ???? 

The majority did not vote MFP. MFP was the party which won the most seats (narrow margin over PT), but far from majority. Also, the election was for the seats in Parliament, not for the PM seat.

[nobodysfriend]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Somchai Sawangkarn described the Move Forward Party as a dangerous cult with extreme views that threatened the peace of the kingdom

55 , It is starting to become really funny now ... ( if it would not be so sad ...)

 

[Eloquent pilgrim]

2 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

Say, "Pity Pita, Pita Pita, Pity Pita" real fast....Sounds like the like all the crying from Pitas' supporters ????....

 

Thanks for such a stunningly intellectual contribution to the debate ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Eloquent pilgrim]

1 hour ago, arithai12 said:

The majority did not vote MFP. MFP was the party which won the most seats (narrow margin over PT), but far from majority. Also, the election was for the seats in Parliament, not for the PM seat.

I don’t know why you are trying to spin it as a narrow margin over PT. MFP won 10 more seats than PT, but more importantly, they won 38.01% of the valid votes, compared to 28.86 won by PT. That is 32% more than PT, so an overwhelming number of the electorate will feel disenfranchised.

 

The next largest percentage of votes for any other party was 12.55%, and after that it drops to 3% or less.

[Eloquent pilgrim]

 please try and pay attention, this post is about the consequences of the Thai Prime Ministerial vote.

[bannork]

1 hour ago, arithai12 said:

The majority did not vote MFP. MFP was the party which won the most seats (narrow margin over PT), but far from majority. Also, the election was for the seats in Parliament, not for the PM seat.

MF were by far the winner in votes, 14 million compared to PT's ten million.

The election was for both MPs and the PM. Otherwise, why would parties have to name their PM candidates first?

I wager many voters chose Pita for MF's policies, and his own eloquence. 

 

 

[h90]

6 minutes ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

I don’t know why you are trying to spin it as a narrow margin over PT. MFP won 10 more seats than PT, but more importantly, they won 38.01% of the valid votes, compared to 28.86 won by PT. That is 32% more than PT, so an overwhelming number of the electorate will feel disenfranchised.

 

The next largest percentage of votes for any other party was 12.55%, and after that it drops to 3% or less.

that is more than PT, but almost the same in MPs. And only 27% of the possible voters. The real winner of the election is people who were fed up with politics, voted invalid, voted no or didn't vote at all, because they are tired of the silly fighting of the corrupt oligarchs.

[Pink Mist]

An off topic post about Hitler and replies have been removed.  Please do not try and hijack this OP

[Toolong]

There's a Japanese saying, 'the nail that sticks out must be hammered down' . 

 

Guess it's used in context where they who don't conform to norms get put in their place.

 

In this, the Thai context, the hammer blows came, as expected, but I don't think this nail will go down. Bend, but not go down. 

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

SFA.   They haven't got the guts to do anything. Mai Phen Rai!!!!!!!!!!

Really? 2010. I guess you're quite new here.

 

 

[kennw]

20 minutes ago, h90 said:

that is more than PT, but almost the same in MPs. And only 27% of the possible voters. The real winner of the election is people who were fed up with politics, voted invalid, voted no or didn't vote at all, because they are tired of the silly fighting of the corrupt oligarchs.

So head back in the sand then!

[h90]

6 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Really? 2010. I guess you're quite new here.

 

That were the red shirt protests near Siam Paragon?

I was there 2 weeks afterwards and there was still a strong smell from the burns that made it hard to breath....

[Eloquent pilgrim]

24 minutes ago, h90 said:

that is more than PT, but almost the same in MPs. And only 27% of the possible voters

This doesn’t make any sense the way it is written; so could you explain more clearly what you are trying to say, and also what the 27% of possible voters refers to … thanks

[bannork]

5 minutes ago, Toolong said:

There's a Japanese saying, 'the nail that sticks out must be hammered down' . 

 

Guess it's used in context where they who don't conform to norms get put in their place.

 

In this, the Thai context, the hammer blows came, as expected, but I don't think this nail will go down. Bend, but not go down. 

They hammered Thanathorn down and Pita emerged. Hammer Pita down and another intelligent, articulate leader will emerge.

There's plenty of them in MF, it's the only party to belong to if you believe in progress rather than clan politics.

 

[h90]

Just now, Eloquent pilgrim said:

This doesn’t make any sense the way it is written; so could you explain more clearly what you are trying to say, and also what the 27% of possible voters refers to … thanks

MFP: 14,438,851 votes

Registered voter: 52,238,594

no vote and invalid votes: 2 Millions

Not voted at all 13 millions

 

[h90]

2 minutes ago, bannork said:

They hammered Thanathorn down and Pita emerged. Hammer Pita down and another intelligent, articulate leader will emerge.

There's plenty of them in MF, it's the only party to belong to if you believe in progress rather than clan politics.

 

another oligarch will try to seize power.....Shin family against Thai Summit, against Military and CP and Alcohol pays everyone.....

no well meaning leader....it is oligarch clans that fight for dominance....and good that they do it with elections and not guns

[Toolong]

28 minutes ago, bannork said:

They hammered Thanathorn down and Pita emerged. Hammer Pita down and another intelligent, articulate leader will emerge.

There's plenty of them in MF, it's the only party to belong to if you believe in progress rather than clan politics.

 

Yep. Agree.

 

Got a feeling Pita's got more 'bounce' in him than Thanathorn. Unfortunately for Thanathorn (whom I think will in time be back in the game, and should be), the 'fight-back' mood wasn't as palpable as it appears to be in Pita's case......imo.

[RocketDog]

2 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

55 , It is starting to become really funny now ... ( if it would not be so sad ...)

 

The name 'Somchai' keeps popping up on forums here over the years. Usually it is associated with stupid/dangerous/ sometimes fatal/foolish/ disruptive/destructive and/or criminal acts.

 

Is this the same guy?

Asking for a friend.

[John Drake]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

In reply, Senator Somchai Sawangkarn described the Move Forward Party as a dangerous cult with extreme views that threatened the peace of the kingdom as he launched a scathing attack on what he called attempts to coerce the Senate through online social media activism.

Same guy, according to CNA's Bangkok reporter: 

 

Senator Somchai on attempts to reform the monarchy: “Don’t copy everything from the Westerners that you forget Thainess. We’re all yellow faces that they call us 2nd-class citizens. You’re not a global citizens with long noses, pale skin and great height.”

 

https://twitter.com/SaksithCNA/status/1679398206877360134

 

[bannork]

4 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Same guy, according to CNA's Bangkok reporter: 

 

Senator Somchai on attempts to reform the monarchy: “Don’t copy everything from the Westerners that you forget Thainess. We’re all yellow faces that they call us 2nd-class citizens. You’re not a global citizens with long noses, pale skin and great height.”

 

https://twitter.com/SaksithCNA/status/1679398206877360134

 

'Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel'.

[vivananahuahin]

My opinion, Anutin first minister, with Pheu Tai en Prawit for the posts and many turmoil, the bill for all in 4 years.