Thailand’s King Vajiralongkorn urges post-election parliament to focus on national stability

Look out for the people’s well-being, the king told the legislature in its first session after the disputed March 24 polls

The pro-junta Palang Pracharat Party and its arch rivals the Democratic Front are both claiming victory, with the latter complaining of underhanded tactics

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Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn has told members of parliament to “think with care and reason in accordance with the rule of law and morality”. Photo: EPA

Published: 7:22pm, 24 May 2019Updated: 4:54pm, 25 May 2019

Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Friday urged the country’s newly elected lawmakers to prioritise national stability and the well-being of citizens as he opened the legislature’s first session since the disputed March 24 election.

The constitutional monarch’s speech before elected MPs and senators came as a local media report suggested a breakthrough had been made following a weeks-long impasse over who will govern the country as it transits from five years of junta rule to a post-election civilian government.

“Members of parliament should seriously consider the importance and the responsibility of their duty because every person’s action has a direct effect on the nation’s stability and the people’s well-being,” Vajiralongkorn said in a five-minute speech to the bicameral National Assembly.

“Everyone must cooperate and act with the best of their abilities. They must think with care and reason in accordance with the rule of law and morality so that the nation’s work can go on smoothly.”

Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha casts his ballot in the March general election. Photo: Reuters

The Palang Pracharat Party – aligned with junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha, in power since his 2014 coup – and their arch rivals who call themselves the Democratic Front both claim they have a mandate to rule, even though neither won an outright simple majority in the 500-seat lower house.

The two sides have been furiously courting the support of smaller parties that could offer them crucial backing in the lower house, with local media reports on Friday suggesting Prayuth’s overtures towards the Democrat Party and the Bhumjaithai Party were likely to be successful.