Based on the timetable that the opening session of the House of Representatives and the election of the Speaker of the House would take place in early July, between 3 and 6 July, this has reignited the heated rivalry between the Move Forward and Pheu Thai parties.
Rangsiman Rome, a spokesman for the MFP, said before that the MFP must be Speaker of the House of Representatives because the party has plans to move forward. So, it must be a process that needs to be talked about and completed.
However during the Pheu Thai party meeting on June 21, many felt that with a difference of only 10 seats between the two parties, it was not appropriate for a person from the Move Forward party with limited experience to hold the post of Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Adisorn Piengket, a party-list member of the Pheu Thai Party, gave an interview on June 22 during his appearance at the Office of the Secretary General of the House of Representatives. He explained that the meeting on Wednesday was an internal party meeting that had been held regularly for 22 years. At such meetings, various issues were always exchanged and discussed. Whenever there are problems, they are raised and discussed at the meeting place, because the Pheu Thai Party adheres to democratic principles.
“First we heard about the quota of 14 ministers plus 1 prime minister for Move Forward and 14 ministers plus 1 Speaker of the House of Representatives for Pheu Thai. If it had come to that, we would have been happy because almost one hundred percent of our party members shared that view. But suddenly, the chief negotiator of our party decided to offer the post of Speaker of the House to the Move Forward party without consulting the MPs or the party assembly. This was a problem and led to heated debates. But this intensity is the language of democracy, the language of flowers for Pheu Thai. Should it entangle the Move Forward Party, I sincerely apologize,” Adisorn said.
Adisorn stated that if it is proposed within the party to give the post of Speaker of the House of Representatives to Move Forward, then there must be valid reasons for doing so. He advises supporters of both parties to keep a low profile and wait to see how the negotiations unfold. He believes that the public has entrusted both Pheu Thai and Move Forward with power to form a government together and give Thailand a prime minister named Pita Limjaroenrat.
Chalerm Yubamrung, a top MP from the Pheu Thai Party, said that the person who will be Speaker of the House must be neutral and a member of every party. If someone said they wanted the Speaker to be from their party, it would show that they don’t understand politics and are dumb.
Commenting on the possibility of a opposite member voting for a Pheu Thai member as Speaker of the House of Representatives, which could affect the formation of the government with Move Forward, Srettha Thavisin, the Pheu Thai candidate for Prime Minister, said that Pheu Thai and Move Forward must move forward together. As for someone from another party proposing a Pheu Thai candidate as speaker, he personally thinks it is “nonsensical”.
Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, the leader of the Prachachat Party and former Speaker of Parliament, expressed similar sentiments, stating that he had never experienced a situation where the opposition had put forward a candidate from the government party.
