Last chance for Thailand’s Pita who says only one more shot at PM
- Harvard-educated millionaire Pita Limjaroenrat of the Move Forward Party says he’ll withdraw his candidacy if parliament does not endorse him next week
- MFP won the most seats in May elections, buoyed by young Thais eager for reforms, but senators against pledge to reform strict royal defamation laws
The liberal front runner to become Thailand’s next prime minister said on Saturday he would withdraw his candidacy if parliament did not endorse him next week, after military-appointed lawmakers foiled his first attempt.
Pita Limjaroenrat’s Move Forward Party (MFP) won the most seats in May elections, buoyed by young Thais eager for progressive reforms after nine years of army-backed rule in the kingdom.
But the Harvard-educated millionaire’s campaign to lead the next government was knocked back on Thursday by senators in parliament who consider his pledge to reform strict royal defamation laws a red line.
The legislature holds its second ballot for a new prime minister on Wednesday, and Pita said he would support a candidate from coalition partner Pheu Thai if he again failed to win the needed votes.
“I’d like to apologise that we haven’t succeeded”, he said in a video address posted to social media. “I’m ready to give a chance to Thailand by letting the party that has the second most votes … be the one to form the coalition”.
Pita was 51 votes short of the 375 lawmakers he needed to support his candidacy during the first ballot.