Paetongtarn emerges as top choice for PM among Pheu Thai MPs

Pheu Thai Party MPs have voted unanimously to nominate party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra as the next prime minister, top party MPs said on Thursday morning. 

Sorawong Thienthong, the party’s secretary-general, said the voting took place after the MPs held a quick meeting in Parliament just after 10am.

He said the MPs’ decision will be passed on to the party’s executive board, which will make a final decision on who to put forward to fill the vacuum left by Srettha Thavisin’s ouster on Wednesday. 

Paetongtarn is the second PM candidate on Pheu Thai’s list after Srettha. The other candidate is Chaikasem Nitisiri.

The Constitutional Court removed Srettha from the PM’s post after finding him guilty of violating ethical standards by appointing Pichit Chuenban as PM’s Office minister even though he had a jail record.

Pichit was once accused of trying to bribe Supreme Court officials and was flung behind bars for six months for contempt of court. 

Sorawong said the Pheu Thai executive board would discuss the MPs’ proposal before making a final decision on the best candidate later on Thursday.

When asked if choosing Chaikasem would lead to more legal problems for Pheu Thai, Sorawong said the party’s executives would carefully consider the qualifications of its nominees. 

Chaikasem, as attorney-general, had ordered the prosecutors to drop the bribery charges against Pichit. 

When asked if the coalition’s main partner Bhumjaithai would compete against Pheu Thai for the PM’s post, Sorawong said Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul had pledged he would support Pheu Thai in its second attempt to form a government. 

Pheu Thai party-list MP Wisut Chainarun told reporters after the meeting that a new prime minister will definitely be elected at 10am on Friday.