Thailand election winners make way for allies after PM bid fails

BANGKOK, July 21 – Thailand’s election-winning Move Forward party on Friday made way for runner-up and alliance partner Pheu Thai to try to form the next government, after its leader’s bid was twice thwarted this month by a military-backed Senate.

The progressive Move Forward and populist Pheu Thai have the lion’s share of the 500 lower house seats after trouncing conservative, army backed rivals in a May 14 election, in what was a clear rejection of nine years of military-backed rule.

But a big obstacle for their alliance is the 249-member Senate, which was appointed by the royalist army after a 2014 coup and has a record of voting as a bloc to protect its interests, including stopping governments from being formed.

The eight-party alliance backed Move Forward’s leader Pita Limjaroenrat for prime minister before conservative opponents and Senators blocked him in a July 13 parliamentary vote and stifled his re-nomination six days later.

The resistance underlines the threat posed by Move Forward’s anti-establishment agenda, which includes ending business monopolies, reforming the military and most controversial, amending article 112 of the criminal code, a tough law that insulates the monarchy from public criticism.

Pheu Thai, Thailand’s most dominant political party in the past two decades, said it would start lobbying lawmakers for their votes and identify what obstacles were ahead.

“We will find more votes from the Senate and other parties,” Pheu Thai leader Chonlanan Srikaew told a press conference.

“Article 112 was the condition that blocked us, we will need to get more votes.”