Postponement in vote for PM gets the nod
Senators are not opposed to the postponement of the voting for prime minister following the Office of Ombudsmen’s request to the Constitutional Court to suspend the second round of PM voting set for Thursday.
The ombudsmen are unanimously questioning the court about the constitutionality of parliamentarians blocking Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat from being renominated as PM candidate during the session last Wednesday (July 19).
Senators and MPs from partners of the outgoing coalition voted that the election of a prime minister comes under Article 41 of the parliamentary meeting regulation.
Article 41 states that a motion that has already been rejected by Parliament cannot be resubmitted for deliberation in the same session unless the chair of the meeting decides certain situations have changed.
After the ombudsmen’s decision was announced, Somchai Sawaengkarn, a senator and an advisor to the Senate’s whips, said that the senators are not opposed if the voting for the country’s 30th prime minister had to be postponed.
He said that House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha has the authority to postpone the voting session, and could announce his decision during the pre-meeting session on Tuesday (July 26).
Somchai speculated that the new voting dates could be set as soon as August 3, or after the Constitutional Court gives its verdict on the ombudsmen’s appeal.
Somchai added that the original voting date of July 27 could be problematic for some MPs and senators who have to attend events celebrating His Majesty the King’s birthday on July 28 in their provinces.
Since Friday, July 28 is a national holiday, Somchai believed that the Constitutional Court might accept the ombudsmen’s appeal next week, and would take around 1 month to deliberate the issue.
