On the day Thailand’s new Parliament convened, the two big parties, Move Forward and Pheu Thai, found the solution to unlock the title race for Speaker of the House of Representatives by choosing Prachachat Party a veteran leader Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, 79, to become the next House Speaker.
Move Forward will get the First Deputy House Speaker seat while Pheu Thai will have the Second Depty House Speaker seat.
According to the joint statement of the two parties, this agreement aims to bring the eight parties together in order to establish a government. It suggests and encourages Pita Limcharoenrat to be prime minister to the fullest extent possible, in accordance with the MOU signed jointly on May 22, 2023.
The MFP and the Pheu Thai Party jointly confirmed their approval of important laws for the people, including amnesty for political expression and amendments to the law on the reform of the army, without mentioning the amendment to Article 112, which has been strongly opposed by many senators and other parties.
Wan Muhammad Nor Matha, also known as Wan Nor, was the former head of the Wadah group, a small lobby of Muslim politicians from the Southern provinces. He served in the House of Representatives for several terms and as a minister in many Ministries. From November 24, 1996, to June 27, 2000, he was the first Thai Muslim to serve as Speaker of the National Assembly and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Wan Nor said he did not initially intend to become the House Speaker, because he represents a small party. But when the big parties could not agree and ask a middleman to help, he has to do it. If the government cannot be formed it will cause a lot of damage. He has said before that the decision of the two parties would mean a victory for the people.
Pita said he had spoken with Wan Noor at the State Opening Ceremony of Parliament and informed him of the two parties’ resolution, which Wan Noor stated was to put the people first; if it is a wish of both parties, he will not refuse it.
Pita added that today’s agreement is a positive sign that shows unity, compromise, and sacrifice in order to achieve the goal of forming a government and pave him the way to the position of Prime Minister.
However, according to the Associated Press, the U.S. news agency, there is still no clear sign that Pita will be able to become prime minister and end nine years of military-dominated rule.
Pita has formed an eight-party coalition holding 312 seats in the 500-seat lower house, which leaves it short of an overall majority without the support of a significant number of the 250 senators.
Pita has been accused of violating a constitutional prohibition on politicians holding shares in a media company. The media company is no longer operating, and Pita says the shares are part of his father’s estate and don’t belong to him.
The prospect that he could be banned from politics and even jailed for what is widely seen at most as a minor technical violation has triggered fears that the political instability that has wracked Thailand on and off since 2006 could return with a vengeance.
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