A JOINT HOUSE/SENATE meeting, earlier scheduled for the upcoming Thursday to pick a prime minister following the May 14 election, was today (July 25) indefinitely put off.

 

House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha said he has indefinitely postponed the joint House/Senate session from Thursday, pending a ruling of the Constitutional Court on last week’s floor resolution to deny Move Forward Pita Limjaroenrat a second chance to be named and voted prime minister.

 

Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat over a background of the Thai Parliament meeting chamber.

 

The Office of the Ombudsman has petitioned the Constitutional Court to judge whether any existing parliamentary rules could possibly overrule the constitution’s sections and clauses pertaining to the naming and voting of a prime minister.

 

In July 19’s joint session, a majority of lawmakers successfully turned down a sustained bid for the Move Forward leader to be named and voted prime minister after he had failed to make it at the first go earlier this month.

 

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

Top: House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha. All photos: Matichon

 

Full story: https://thainewsroom.com/2023/07/25/joint-house-senate-session-to-pick-pm-put-off/

 

-- © Copyright  THAI NEWSROOM 2023-07-26

 

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Thailand prime minister selection meeting takes a raincheck
by Petch Petpailin

 

Parliament President, Wan Muhamad Nor Matha (Wan Nor). | Photo via Workpoint Today

 

The President of the National Assembly of Thailand today officially announced the meeting in Parliament to choose the next prime minister has been postponed.

 

The meeting, originally scheduled for Thursday, July 28, will be delayed until further notice.

 

Wan Muhamad Nor Matha, also known as Wan Nor, explained that the meeting to select the next Thai prime minister has been cancelled until the Constitution Court can conclude whether Parliament‘s rejection of Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s PM renomination was proper, legal and justified.

 

The Thai Ombudsman informed the Thai media yesterday that they had forwarded a complaint related to Parliament‘s rejection to the Constitution Court.

 

However, no specific details were released regarding when the court would conclude its investigation on the matter.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thailand-prime-minister-selection-meeting-takes-a-raincheck

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-07-26

 

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PM votes suspended indefinitely as Constitutional Court asked to review last vote in parliament
by Joseph O' Connor

 

Hiatus may allow Pheu Thai to regroup amid strong signals that the party may be about to commit political suicide with the electorate by abandoning the democratic principle in the face of a growing clamour in establishment circles for a more urgent approach to forming a new government while key leaders in its alliance are calling for the eight party coalition to stand together and count down the clock until May 2024 when the Thai Senate’s power to vote on electing a prime minister expires under the controversial Section 272 clause of the Constitution.

Thailand’s parliamentary process to elect its 30th Prime Minister was suspended indefinitely by Parliament President Wan Muhamad Noor Matha on Tuesday after a case was forwarded to the Constitutional Court the day before challenging last Wednesday’s vote in a joint session which blocked the nomination for a second time of Move Forward Party leader Mr Pita Limjaroenrat as Prime Minister.

 

It comes amid increasing acrimony over the process and growing calls from among democratic activists and parties to the eight-party post-election alliance representing 62% of MPs and up to 75% of voters to hold fast and disengage from the process altogether until May 2024 as the Pheu Thai Party appeared over the weekend poised to cut the Move Forward Party adrift to form a government with parties associated with the outgoing government in order to win over enough votes from the Senate, a move which many political analysts consider a potential death knell for the party as a popular force in Thai politics.

 

Full story: https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2023/07/25/voting-for-pm-suspended-by-speaker-constitutional-court-ombudsman/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Examiner 2023-07-26

 

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House Speaker Postpones Prime Ministerial Voting on July 27th
By Tanakorn Panyadee

 

 

National — House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha on Tuesday, July 25th, decided to postpone the prime ministerial voting originally set for July 27th.

The move was made due to the Constitutional Court’s pending decision on the Office of the Ombudsman’s petition about Pita Limjaroenrat’s rejection for PM renomination on July 19th.

 

Pita, leader and PM candidate for the Move Forward Party, was opposed by 394 parliamentarians for being re-nominated as a prime minister based on a parliamentary regulation.

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2023/07/26/house-speaker-postpones-prime-ministerial-voting-on-july-27th/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2023-07-26

 

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Better late than never. I'm sure MFP, especially Pita would agree.

Is there a glimmer of hope for democracy in Thailand?

MF got the most votes but bear in mind their total votes is about 1/3 of the electorate. So yes they have majority votes but they also need to convince 2/3 of the population to love them .. it is strange we hear so many of the 1/3 but not the silent 2/3 who still did not vote for MF. Let the democratic process takes it course.. 

Edited July 25, 20232 yr by NemoH

From the Auguries of Innocence by William Blake ... a long time ago:

 

A Robin Red breast in a Cage

Puts all Heaven in a Rage 

A Dove house filld with Doves & Pigeons

Shudders Hell thr' all its regions 

A dog starvd at his Masters Gate

Predicts the ruin of the State

31 minutes ago, NemoH said:

MF got the most votes but bear in mind their total votes is about 1/3 of the electorate. So yes they have majority votes but they also need to convince 2/3 of the population to love them .. it is strange we hear so many of the 1/3 but not the silent 2/3 who still did not vote for MF. Let the democratic process takes it course.. 

there is nothing democratic about a Junta appointed senate determining who the Primary Minister will be

43 minutes ago, Kiwiken said:

Is there a glimmer of hope for democracy in Thailand?

NO... simple answer.

6 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

NO... simple answer.

Yes, we were given a small spark of enthusiasm in May, but that has been overwhelmingly doused since. 

Be interesting to see how Thailand is going on the democratic charts these days - can only be like 30-40 places downwards !

1 hour ago, NemoH said:

MF got the most votes but bear in mind their total votes is about 1/3 of the electorate. So yes they have majority votes but they also need to convince 2/3 of the population to love them .. it is strange we hear so many of the 1/3 but not the silent 2/3 who still did not vote for MF. Let the democratic process takes it course.. 

Over 75% voter turnout........a record.

 

37,987,549 valid votes.
 

At least 66% of those who voted do not approve of those presently holding power.

 

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9791/

 

Those who didn't vote have written themselves out of the equation.

 

That is the shape of the nation.

 

 

Edited July 25, 20232 yr by Enoon

4 hours ago, webfact said:

House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha

Who voted for him. ????

48 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Yes, we were given a small spark of enthusiasm in May, but that has been overwhelmingly doused since. 

As it was always going to be... 

same happened at the last election... complete fiasco and then the elite getting what they wanted.

Any opposition crippled and the junta having the last say.

Prayut may be out but his legacy still haunts parliament. 

34 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Who voted for him. ????

The House of Representatives did, lead by MFP & PTP. So no point in bitching about him. He's doing his best in impossible circumstances.

     Should not take more than a New York minute for the CC to make a decision on something that should already be known by the court.  And, if they don't already know, they should not be in their positions.   Hundreds of legal scholars that signed the petition demanding the CC review the PM second vote decision knew immediately that the vote decision was legally incorrect, according to the Constitution.  Should be no different with the Constitution Court.  Make the decision quickly and get the process moving again.  Taking way too long--and not good to read that it's all been put on hold 'indefinitely'.

All this political turmoil, yet the baht remains strong.  But the currency is not manipulated in anyway????                  And before some "financial expert" comments and says that has nothing to do with the currency.  Please explain why then.. if it happened to most other countries their currency would plummet? because I'd love to know.  

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

As it was always going to be... 

same happened at the last election... complete fiasco and then the elite getting what they wanted.

Any opposition crippled and the junta having the last say.

Prayut may be out but his legacy still haunts parliament. 

Prayut will, like Prem ( who he seeks to emulate), be a permanent broker in the Thai power game - Let's call it what it is, not pretend it is democratic politics!

5 minutes ago, paulikens said:

All this political turmoil, yet the baht remains strong.  But the currency is not manipulated in anyway????                  And before some "financial expert" comments and says that has nothing to do with the currency.  Please explain why then.. if it happened to most other countries their currency would plummet? because I'd love to know.  

Dorien Grey.

Just now, herfiehandbag said:

Dorien Grey.

@herfiehandbag ???   

10 minutes ago, paulikens said:

All this political turmoil, yet the baht remains strong.  But the currency is not manipulated in anyway????                  And before some "financial expert" comments and says that has nothing to do with the currency.  Please explain why then.. if it happened to most other countries their currency would plummet? because I'd love to know.  

Why? Because the Thai Baht and anything else about Thailand is irrelevant on the world stage. What happens in Thailand has no bearing or influence at all outside of its borders. No-one really cares. At one stage during the 2010 riots it actually increased in value, if my memory is correct.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

PM votes suspended indefinitely

Banana republic-y headline. Meanwhile to the east, new PM gets 113% of the vote, and to the west refugees stream in, in a looming humanitarian crisis. While Thailand takes a six-day staycation to "celebrate".

 

1 hour ago, mfd101 said:

He's doing his best in impossible circumstances.

Well his "best" got Thailand into another Constitutional Crisis.

 

All he had to do was allow a second vote, which Pita would have lost. Then PTP would have put forward both of their candidates, and lost two votes.

 

OK, maybe Wan Noor got everyone to point B faster, albeit by accident and incompetence.

 

Who knows what carnage he'll wreak as Speaker going forward? He should resign ASAP.

 

 

 

The only glimmer of hope - let Bhumjaithai party's leader Anutin become PM with the support of the Senate.

Good luck to him try to govern with 311 house members on the opposite side of the aisle.

Once the junta appointed Senate is dissolved in May 2024, the opposition representing a majority in the house takes charge.

The argument that Thailand cannot afford 10 months of ineffective government does not hold water since the country already endured a 9 "do-nothing" years approach.

 

What a farce! 

These so called leaders of "Even more wonderful Thailand"  couldn't even pick their own noses, or a "p**s up" in a brewery!!!

 

 

Edited July 26, 20232 yr by sambum

Snakes and Ladders anyone?

Do we really need 3 long introductory articles by "W*****T" basically all about the same topic?

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

NO... simple answer.

Please don´t give the long one. ???? 

Will they charge all of the MPs and senators who voted for a unconstitutional obstruction of the election

2 hours ago, paulikens said:

All this political turmoil, yet the baht remains strong.  But the currency is not manipulated in anyway????                  And before some "financial expert" comments and says that has nothing to do with the currency.  Please explain why then.. if it happened to most other countries their currency would plummet? because I'd love to know.  

Because this is normal for Thailand.........