Move Forward voters urged to remain calm when MPs vote for House speaker

Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, who is also an outgoing PM’s Office minister, was responding to widespread speculation that supporters of the party would rally outside the Parliament to support their party’s bid to take the post of House speaker.

Move Forward won the most seats in the House of Representatives in the May 14 election, including 32 of Bangkok’s 33 constituencies.

However, it has been in lengthy negotiations with its main coalition partner, Pheu Thai, over which party should get the House speaker’s post, and the talks have frequently resulted in public bickering between some members, and supporters, of both parties.

Although people have the right to demonstrate peacefully without weapons, Move Forward supporters should wait patiently for MPs to do their work inside the Parliament instead of protesting outside Parliament, Thanakorn said.

Protests may rattle the confidence of investors, he added.

“I would like to call on the next government to maintain stability and continue the work of [outgoing] Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha who has been working for eight years,” Thanakorn said.

“I would like to call on demonstrators to make the national interest their priority,” he added.