Seree Ruam Thai, Chart Pattana Kla pledge support for Pheu Thai coalition

On Thursday, the two parties said that Pheu Thai had made the right decision in leaving the Move Forward-led coalition to break the political deadlock almost three months after the general election was held on May 14.

Seree Ruam Thai leader Sereepisuth Temeeyaves said his party has no objection to Pheu Thai’s decision to exclude election-winner Move Forward from its new coalition.

“I think the first priority is to form a government so that the country can be run smoothly,” Sereepisuth said.

Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew announced on Wednesday afternoon that his party was leaving Move Forward’s coalition, which was formed under a memorandum of understanding, to form its own coalition.

Cholnan said Pheu Thai had to push Move Forward into opposition because it was not supported by senators and many parties, while several parties had refused to join a coalition with Move Forward as a partner.

Pheu Thai, which came second in the election, was given the chance to try to set up a government after Move Forward failed twice due to strong opposition from senators and parties allied with the outgoing government.

Sereepisuth, his party’s only MP, said he did not object to including the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) and United Thai Nation (UTN) Party in the Pheu Thai coalition.

The Seree Ruam Thai leader said he did not object to their inclusion because the coup leader, Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, had resigned from UTN while PPRP leader Gen Prawit Wonsuwan did not lead the 2014 coup.

“Prayut has resigned from the party so why should we object to including UTN?” Sereepisuth said.

He dismissed Pheu Thai’s earlier pledge that it would never form a government with PPRP as election campaign rhetoric.

“It was not a promise,” Sereepisuth added.

He said Pheu Thai had not yet invited him into its coalition but would have no conditions for joining as his party had just one MP.

After Pheu Thai announced its decision to dump its original coalition partner, a group of Move Forward supporters tried to storm into Pheu Thai’s Bangkok head office but were blocked by police and security officers.

Sereepisuth warned Move Forward supporters against breaking the law, adding that the party had failed to form a government because it listened too much to its supporters.

Meanwhile, Chart Pattana chairman Suwat Liptapanlop pledged his support for Pheu Thai and its prime minister candidate Srettha Thavisin.

Suwat said Pheu Thai had long experience in governing the country and tackling economic crises.

“I believe Pheu Thai’s core members can manoeuvre to form a government to solve the country’s problems,” he said, adding that the business sector wanted to see the new administration’s policies after the long delay.

“Although Srettha has no political background, he has experience in running businesses and strong knowledge of the economic system. He will be a prime minister who understands economic fundamentals and knows how to deal with various issues.”

Suwat said his party would wait to see the composition of the Pheu Thai-led coalition before making its decision on how to vote in the next PM vote.

Meanwhile, Democrat caretaker leader Jurin Laksanawisit said his party would hold a meeting on whether to vote for Pheu Thai’s PM candidate now that Move Forward was out of the picture.

Chaichana Dejdecho, Democrat deputy secretary-general, said Democrat MPs would meet later on Thursday to discuss the PM vote.

He said the Democrats would be willing to negotiate with Pheu Thai on forming the new coalition.

Chaichana dismissed rumours that acting deputy leader Dej-it Khaothong, a Democrat MP from Songkhla, had recently met fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in Hong Kong to discuss joining the coalition. Thaksin is Pheu Thai’s patriarch and has announced he will return to Thailand after 15 years in self-exile on August 10.