August 11, 2023
BANGKOK – The Pheu Thai Party received good news on Thursday after a Palang Pracharath MP said his party would support Pheu Thai’s PM candidate in the upcoming election for prime minister.
Pheu Thai, after parting ways with election winner Move Forward, has put together a coalition of nine parties that together enjoy a support of 238 MPs in the 500-seat House.
The nine-party alliance has urged all MPs, regardless of political affiliation, to vote for its PM candidate to extricate Thailand from the current crisis.
Palang Pracharath’s Kamphaeng Phet MP Pai Leeke said on Thursday that since Thailand is in dire need of a new administration to handle the issues faced by the people, his party members had agreed to vote for the Pheu Thai PM candidate.
“Every single Palang Pracharath MP will vote for the Pheu Thai candidate, and if we make a move, we go as a whole.” Pai Leeke stressed, adding that he was confident in Pheu Thai’s competence to help the nation.
He, however, said that Pheu Thai had yet to make any official contact with his party.
Palang Pracharath, whose leader is outgoing deputy PM General Prawit Wongsuwon, won 40 seats in May 14 general election.
Soon after the MP expressed his stance, the Pheu Thai Party released a statement, saying that the party solicits support from every MP and senator so as to form a government to iron out the people’s issues.
Despite incurring criticism from its supporters, Pheu Thai party-list MP Somsak Thepsuthin earlier said that he had talked with United Thai Nation party members about joining the Pheu Thai-led coalition.
If the United Thai Nation Party agrees to partner, all of its MPs should come as a whole, said Somsak, who had previously served as Palang Pracharath MP.
United Thai Nation, whose former PM candidate Prayut Chan-o-cha retired from politics, gained 36 seats in the election.