Move Forward threatens to leave coalition if it is denied House speaker’s post
Move Forward Party has made a proposition that Pheu Thai cannot afford to refuse: Give us the House Speaker’s seat or we’ll cancel the coalition and become the opposition.
Sources with knowledge of the negotiations said that Pheu Thai needs to form a coalition with Move Forward, or it will risk losing the support of its fans.
Move Forward has the largest number of MPs at 151, and if Pheu Thai fails to make a deal with it, it will have to form a coalition with parties that were part of the outgoing government.
Hence, Pheu Thai has no choice but to heed Move Forward’s threat to become the opposition.
According to Senate Speaker Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, the House is set to convene its first meeting to elect the House speaker and two deputies on July 4. The Parliament will be opened in a ceremony presided over by His Majesty the King on July 3.
Reason behind demand
Core Pheu Thai members, including deputy leader Phumtham Wechayachai, have conceded that the House speaker’s post should be held by the party that has the largest number of MPs. However, some groups of Pheu Thai MPs from the Northeast are fighting this and demanding that speaker’s post should belong to their party.
Their demand is based on the ground that Pheu Thai was only 10 seats behind Move Forward in the May 14 election.
However, sources say core Pheu Thai members cannot allow this to happen because they realise that this would severely damage the party’s image.
Few choices
Pheu Thai also risks being wiped out in the next election if it makes an about-face and joins Palang Pracharath, Bhumjaithai and United Thai Nation Party to form a coalition.
If it does make a deal with the outgoing government, Pheu Thai would also be breaking its campaign promises. It had promised its supporters that it would not work with members of the last coalition because it does not support the coup leaders – General Prayut Chan-o-cha and General Prawit Wongsuwon.
However, if Pheu Thai retains Move Forward as a key partner, there is a good chance it can become the coalition leader and even win the PM’s post.
Move Forward’s push for speaker’s post
The Move Forward-led eight-party coalition would have 312 MPs under its banner, and its leader Pita Limjaroenrat will require support from up to 72 senators to secure the PM’s post.
However, sources say that both Pita and core Pheu Thai members realise that it is an uphill battle for Pita to win support from senators.
The 250 senators, who were appointed by the coup leaders, are resentful that Move Forward has been campaigning for either the abrogation or amendment of the Criminal Code’s Article 112 or the lese majeste law.
Move Forward also realises this, which means it needs the House speaker’s post so that it can have a stage to work from if Pita fails to win the senators’ support for the PM’s post.
After Pita fails in his bid to win the top executive post, the party can still use the House speaker’s post to pursue its goals of legal amendments, while continuing to remain a partner of a possible Pheu Thai-led coalition.
Sources say that in case Pita fails to win the PM’s post, Move Forward will allow Pheu Thai to bid for the top job to circumvent opposition from the senators.
This scenario could be a perfect compromise between the two largest parties – Move Forward with its 151 MPs and Pheu Thai with 141 MPs.
