The Move Forward Party (MFP) announced late Tuesday night that it had postponed the meeting with the Pheu Thai Party over the House Speaker’s conclusion on Wednesday indefinitely.
The postponement came after the MFP nominated second-term MP Padipat Santipada as the new House Speaker, and Pheu Thai stated that the House Speaker should come from the Pheu Thai Party, which has a number of MPs in second place, only 10 seats behind the MFP.
The Pheu Thai representatives intended to insist on 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. They announced that the selection of the Speaker of the House of Representatives must be based on knowledge, competence, experience, fairness, and equality.
Padipat, 41, was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2019 as a Pitsanuloke province MP, defeating Warong Dechkitvigrom. He entered politics after he witnessed social and economic disparities, particularly under the military junta.
Padipat remarked on his vision as the House Speaker candidate that the Thai parliament should not be the same. Efficiency, transparency, and people must all be part of the mission.
Although the two pro-democracy parties have agreed to put forward Pita Limcharoenrat, leader of the MFP, as Prime Minister, two parties have been at odds over the position of Speaker of the House since the beginning of coalition negotiations.
The deadlock continues as the selection date for the next speaker is slated for July 4.
