Democrat Party denies it is in talks to join Move Forward-led coalition

Alongkorn Ponlaboot, caretaker deputy leader of the Democrat Party, said that the reports were untrue. He also warned that the media outlets publishing such stories could become a political tool to discredit his party.

Earlier reports, quoting unnamed Democrat sources, said that key party figures from the faction led by the party’s caretaker secretary-general Chalermchai Srion were reaching out to Move Forward to become a part of its coalition government-in-waiting.

Move Forward won the highest number of MP seats in last Sunday’s general election, gaining 152 out of 500 seats available in the House of Representatives.

Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat has announced a new coalition of nine political parties with 314 MPs. However, a majority in the Lower House alone is not enough to secure the prime minister’s seat for Pita, as the Constitution requires the PM candidate win majority support from both Houses of Parliament – at least 376 votes from 500 MPs and 250 senators.

Alongkorn said on Friday that he had asked Chalermchai about the reports and that he told him they were untrue.

However, Alongkorn said that he remained firm about his suggestion that Democrat MPs should vote for Move Forward leader Pita to become the next prime minister without any condition. He explained that this was to support the principle that any alliance that controls the majority in the House of Representatives should form the government.

Alongkorn also said that the Democrats must be ready to serve as an opposition party and scrutinise the work of the next government.

Meanwhile, Narapat Kaewthong, another caretaker deputy leader of the Democrat Party, said on Friday that the party’s executive board would make its decision as to whether to join a Move Forward-led coalition government.

He pointed out that Democrat politicians involved simply expressed their personal opinions when calling for the party’s MPs to vote for Pita to become prime minister.

Narapat said that he would vote in line with a party resolution and would vote in support of Pita only when it was “really necessary” to prevent a deadlock for the country. However, he added that a Pita-led government must not pursue its stated policy of changes to Article 112 of the Penal Code involving lese majeste, as the Democrat Party was against such an amendment.