According to Reuters, the liberal Move Forward Party, which was the biggest victor in Thailand’s election this week, held coalition negotiations on Wednesday as it looks to form a government. Similarly, other opposition parties that figured prominently in the results of the election also attended these talks.
Pita Limjaroenrat, the head of Move Forward, was spotted at a Bangkok eatery warmly welcoming elder members from five other groups before inviting them upstairs for confidential negotiations.
On Sunday’s election, Move Forward successfully topped Pheu Thai—a major opposition party—in a significant setback for the political groups allied with Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. It demonstrated a substantial defeat for the pro-military parties. Pita recently revealed that his coalition, along with five other opposition parties, will have a total of 310 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives. This means they will hold a majority of the Parliament.
Pheu Thai, the party which had won the last five general elections, has once again secured seats in Parliament but with only 10 fewer than Move Forward. They have obtained 141 seats as per the latest projections.
In order for a Prime Minister to be appointed under a military-drafted constitution, more than half of the votes in both chambers of the legislature need to be in his favour. To secure the power, the PM needs votes from either the ruling parties or an unelected 250-member Senate that has a history of backing Prayuth and conservative forces.
Analysts anticipate that it will take numerous weeks, or perhaps even months, of negotiations and deal-making as all the parties involved strive to come to a consensus on forming a government.
Recently, a number of individuals from Thailand have questioned the necessity of a senate and expressed their views on sites like Twitter. They’re questioning the need for such an institution to elect a prime minister. Pheu Thai’s higher-ups have implored other hesitant parties to back a Pita-led government.
