Suited for the job: Pita leads MFP members in visit to bespoke tailor
PM hopeful Pita Limjaroenrat and members of Move Forward Party on Friday visited their long-time tailor in Bangkok’s Bang Phlat area to order new suits as they prepare to take the seats of Prime Minister and other key positions in the new government.
The 42-year-old, Harvard-educated Pita was accompanied by Parit Wacharasindhu, the party’s chief of policy communications as well as newly elected MPs in waiting.
In a facebook post on Friday, Songsmai, a well-known and long-established tailor, said: “Congratulations to Move Forward Party from everyone at Songsmai. Pictured here are our specialists taking measurements of Khun Pita and his party members.”
The tailor went on that the Sang Hee branch that Pita and his group visited on Friday is its head office and the first branch established 60 years ago.
Songsmai said for more than half a century, it has been serving high-ranking government officials and businesspeople looking for new formal attire to match their important positions. Move Forward members are among its long-time customers, it added.
The tailor has a total of eight branches in Thailand plus two textile manufacturing factories.
Pita is hoping to be endorsed as Thailand’s 30th Prime Minister in voting by members of the House of Representatives and the Senate that will take place soon.
The Election Commission is expected to announce the list of elected Members of the House of Representatives within 60 days of the May 14 election.
After the MP list is announced, voting for the prime minister will start in 30 days.
The winning candidate will need half the votes from both chambers: 376 in total.
Move Forward Party on Monday led its seven partners in signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to form a coalition government.
The coalition includes Move Forward Party, Pheu Thai Party, Thai Sang Thai Party, Prachachart Party, Seree Ruam Thai Party, Pheu Thai Ruam Palang Party, Fair Party, and Plung Sungkom Mai Party. Together they have 311 MP votes, leaving Pita needing 65 more votes from senators.
Move Forward and Pheu Thai, however, are locking horns on who will get the dual position of House Speaker and Parliament president.
Some Pheu Thai members have threatened that their party may exit a deal to form a governing coalition with Move Forward if the next House Speaker does not come from Pheu Thai, which has more political experience than Move Forward.
In response, Move Forward said it needs the Speaker’s post to ensure it can accomplish three critical legislative goals, and avoid the legislative inertia of the last four years of government.
The three goals are amending the Constitution to make Thailand more democratic, enacting progressive legislation, and enhancing transparency and the people’s inclusion in Parliament.
