Following nearly ten years of tumultuous military-backed government, Thailand’s constitutional court has prohibited leading prime ministerial candidate and election winner Pita Limjaroenrat from serving as a lawmaker. This is the latest setback for his wildly popular progressive opposition party.
The Move Forward Party leader was temporarily suspended as a result of an Election Commission complaint accusing him of breaking election regulations by reportedly owning stock in a media company.
Pita has already charged the Election Commission with hurrying the case to court while denying he violated any election laws.
More than 70 million people live in this country in Southeast Asia, and the Move Forward Party promised to make significant fundamental changes to how it is governed, including adjustments to the military, the economy, the decentralization of authority, and even the monarchy, which had previously been impenetrable.
The military-backed establishment that has dominated Thailand since 2014, when then-army chief Prayut Chan-o-cha usurped power in a coup, received a sharp rebuke from the May poll, which saw a record turnout. The court’s ruling is likely to feed Move Forward’s growing base of young supporters, with the possibility of large-scale street demonstrations. The party won by far the highest percentage of seats thanks to the enormous popularity of its platform for change.
Then, a coalition of opposition parties was established with the goal of producing a majority government, and Pita was proposed as a candidate for prime minister. Pita, a 42-year-old Harvard alumnus, referred to the alliance as “the voice of hope and the voice of change” and said that all parties had decided to endorse him as the country’s future prime minister.
Headstart of the establishment
In a political system established by the former regime and overwhelmingly favoring the royalist, conservative elite that has long held the reins of power in Thailand, Pita failed last week to win enough parliamentary votes to become prime minister.
To elect a prime minister and form a government in Thailand, a party or coalition needs to gain a majority of 375 seats in both the lower and upper houses of parliament, which together have 749 seats.
The conservative establishment, though, is in the lead. Under a post-coup constitution, the 250-member Senate was selected by the military and has historically supported pro-military politicians.
Pita only won 324 of the 376 votes necessary for a majority, leaving the monarchy without a prime minister as the political squabbling goes on.The court’s decision now jeopardizes his position as a legislator.
The military, monarchy, and influential elites who make up Thailand’s strong, conservative establishment frequently obstruct major changes to the status quo.
Thailand’s Constitutional Court has frequently ruled in favor of the establishment during the past 20 years, dismissing a number of opposition parties.
In times of unrest, the military has a lengthy history of overthrowing democratically elected governments and assuming power.
Twelve successful coups have taken place in Thailand since 1932, including two in the last 17 years.
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