In a significant setback for Thailand’s democratic prospects, the sole nominee for the position of the next prime minister failed to secure enough parliamentary votes to form a government on Thursday. This development raises concerns about the future of democracy in Thailand after nearly a decade of turbulent military-backed rule.
The parliamentary vote held great importance for Thailand, as members of the bicameral National Assembly were tasked with choosing the country’s next prime minister. It was anticipated to reveal whether the ruling establishment would respect the choice of the people, who had overwhelmingly supported progressive opposition parties in the May election.
In a surprising election outcome, the newly formed Move Forward party emerged as the winner, securing the most seats and the largest share of the popular vote. This victory was a reflection of the mounting frustration with the kingdom’s governance that had been building for years.
Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of the Move Forward party and the prime ministerial candidate, garnered only 324 votes out of the required 376 for a majority in both the upper and lower houses. As a result, the House Speaker is set to call for another round of voting at a later date.
The Move Forward party had made ambitious commitments to implement profound structural reforms in the Southeast Asian country, home to more than 70 million people. These reforms encompassed changes to the military, the economy, the decentralization of power, and even revisions to the previously untouchable monarchy.
Following the vote, Pita Limjaroenrat addressed reporters outside parliament, expressing his acceptance of the outcome while emphasizing the party’s determination to uphold its promises to the people. He made particular reference to the party’s audacious campaign pledge to amend Thailand’s stringent lese majeste law, despite the sensitivity surrounding discussions about the royal family.
Lese majeste is covered under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, making it a criminal offense to criticize the King, Queen, or heir-apparent, with convictions carrying severe penalties of up to 15 years in prison. Remarkably, anyone, even if unrelated to the alleged offense, can file a case related to lese majeste.
The topic of royal reform is exceptionally delicate, leading several senators and conservative parties to oppose Pita’s candidacy. Senator Seri Suwannapanon, prior to the vote, stated, “He is not suitable to become a prime minister of Thailand. First, the Move Forward Party has a policy of amending and abolishing Section 112. Secondly, after the Election Commission forwarded the case to the court to examine his eligibility, it has been proven at a certain level that he is not qualified.”
Senator Kittisak Rattanawaraha echoed these sentiments outside parliament, stating that he would not vote for Pita because of the party’s alleged interference with independent agencies, the military, the police, and Section 112.
Please Rearrange This Article Thailand’s opposition won a landslide in elections. But will the military elite let them rule? Analysis by Helen Regan, CNN Updated 2:44 AM EDT, Tue May 16, 2023 Hear from supporters of winning party in Thailand’s election 02:40 – Source: CNN chinese dissident jet ski See jet ski suspected dissident rode to flee China 00:30 Move Forward Party leader and prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat (C) leaves the party’s headquarters as votes continue to be counted, during Thailand’s general election in Bangkok on May 14, 2023. Hear from supporters of winning party in Thailand’s election 02:40 david mckenzie joburg CNN on scene of deadly Johannesburg fire 01:47 BUNOL, SPAIN – AUGUST 30: Revellers pose for photographers as they arrive at the town hall square in the back of a lorry containing tomatoes during the annual Tomatina festival on August 30, 2023 in Bunol, Spain. Spain’s tomato throwing party in the streets of Bunol, Valencia brings together almost 20,000 people, with some 150,000 kilos of tomatoes thrown each year, this year with a backdrop of high food prices affected by Spain’s historic drought. (Photo by Zowy Voeten/Getty Images) Thousands swarm city’s streets for massive food fight 00:41 mexican drug seize 01 Mexican navy seizes more than 9,000 pounds of cocaine in high-speed boat chases 00:30 prigozhin funeral site See Prigozhin’s heavily guarded burial site 03:31 Russian state-controlled media released a video of Whelen inside prison. Reporter points out key moment in rare video of Paul Whelan 01:32 05 india Chandrayaan 3 lunar landing 0823 rendering SCREENSHOT See moment India becomes 4th country to land on the moon 01:24 melbourne debris 1 See burning space debris light up Melbourne’s night sky 00:37 screegrab blackswan This K-pop band has no Korean members. Hear why they think they will break through 02:37 screengrab india viral video classroom Viral video of a teacher asking students to slap a fellow classmate sparks outrage 01:30 pakistan cable car thumb 2 New drone video shows harrowing Pakistan cable car ordeal 00:40 canada fire tornado_thumb1 ‘Incredibly rare phenomenon’ forms in Canada wildfires 00:41 baby gorilla orig thumb 2 See gorilla make heartwarming breakthrough with new mom after fighting to stay alive 00:50 Rare deep sea fish Deep sea fish spotted by divers swimming off Taiwan coast 00:41 screengrab eleni giokos CNN on the ground as Greece battles raging wildfires 01:51 chinese dissident jet ski See jet ski suspected dissident rode to flee China 00:30 Move Forward Party leader and prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat (C) leaves the party’s headquarters as votes continue to be counted, during Thailand’s general election in Bangkok on May 14, 2023. Hear from supporters of winning party in Thailand’s election 02:40 See More Videos CNN — Thai voters delivered a powerful message to the country’s military-backed government on Sunday: you do not have the will of the people to rule. The progressive Move Forward Party, which gained a huge following among young Thais for its reformist platform, won the most seats and the largest share of the popular vote. Pheu Thai, the main opposition party that has been a populist force in Thailand for 20 years, came second. Together they delivered a crushing blow to the conservative, military-backed establishment that has ruled on and off for decades, often by turfing out popularly elected governments in coups. “This is an unmistakable frontal rebuke, a rejection of Thailand’s military authoritarian past. It’s a rejection of military dominance in politics,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist from Chulalongkorn University. Over the last two decades, each time Thais have been allowed to vote, they have done so overwhelmingly in support of the military’s political opponents. Sunday’s vote – which saw a record turnout – was a continuation of that tradition. But despite winning a landslide, it is far from certain who will be the next leader. Supporters of the Move Forward Party react as they watch results come in at the party headquarters in Bangkok on May 14, after polls closed in Thailand’s general election. Supporters of the Move Forward Party react as they watch results come in at the party headquarters in Bangkok on May 14, after polls closed in Thailand’s general election. Jack Taylor/AFP/Getty Images That’s because the military junta that last seized power in 2014 rewrote the constitution to ensure they maintain a huge say in who can lead, whether or not they win the popular vote. Neither opposition party won an outright majority of 376 seats needed to form a government outright, they will need to strike deals and wrangle support from other parties to form a coalition big enough to ensure victory. But that won’t necessarily be straightforward. Dangerous territory The first thing to know is that any opposition party or coalition hoping to form a government must overcome the powerful voting bloc of the senate. Under the junta-era constitution, Thailand’s unelected 250-seat senate is chosen entirely by the military and has previously voted for a pro-military candidate. Because a party needs a majority of the combined houses – 750 seats – to elect a prime minister, it means opposition parties need almost three times as many votes in the lower house to be able to elect the next leader and form a government. In 2019, coup leader Prayut Chan-o-cha won the senate votes which ensured his party’s coalition gained enough seats to elect him as prime minister, despite Pheu Thai being the largest party. There are also other threats to the progressive movement’s win. Parties that have previously pushed for change have run afoul of the powerful conservative establishment – a nexus of the military, monarchy and influential elites. Move Forward Party leader and prime ministerial candidate, Pita Limjaroenrat, attends a press conference following the general election, at the party’s headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 15. Move Forward Party leader and prime ministerial candidate, Pita Limjaroenrat, attends a press conference following the general election, at the party’s headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 15. Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters Lawmakers have faced bans, parties have been dissolved, and governments have been overthrown. Thailand has witnessed a dozen successful coups since 1932, including two in the past 17 years. And the purportedly independent election commission, anti-corruption commission and the constitutional court are all dominated in favor of the establishment. In the progressive camp’s favor, however, is their large margin over the military-backed parties. “If the results were murky, or if the pro-military parties got more, then we would be looking at manipulation, trying to shave the margins. But the results are so clear and very difficult to overturn now,” said Thitinan, adding that if there were attempts to subvert the vote, there would be public anger and protests. Move Forward’s predecessor the Future Forward Party won the third most seats in the 2019 election. Shortly afterward, several of the party’s leaders were banned from politics and the party was later dissolved after a court ruled it violated electoral finance rules. In the short term, that decision ended the threat from the Future Forward Party. But it also, in many ways, laid the foundation for Sunday’s historic vote. Youth-led protests erupted across Thailand in 2020 after Future Forward was dissolved and a whole new generation of young political leaders were born, some of whom were willing to debate a previously taboo topic – royal reform. Those calls electrified Thailand, where any frank discussion of the monarchy is fraught with the threat of prison under one of the strictest lese majeste laws in the world. Many youth leaders were jailed or face ongoing prosecution linked to those protests. But some also went on to create the Move Forward party that swept to victory in the popular vote on Sunday. That leaves the military establishment now locked in a political battle with a party that has kept the subject of royal reform on its manifesto. Experts have said another coup would be costly, and dissolving a party with such a mandate would be “drastic.” “Dissolving a party is a fairly drastic move. If there’s a way of keeping Move Forward out without dissolving them, then conservative politicians would probably prefer to do that. Because it’s not as strong a step in subverting the will that people have expressed,” said Susannah Patton, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute. “But you can’t rule that out.” See why Thailand’s ex-coup leader is showing a softer side ahead of election 02:58 – Source: CNN Vote for change cannot be ignored Move Forward’s allure went beyond the youth vote on which it built its base. Unofficial results showed the party captured 32 out of 33 seats in Bangkok – traditionally a stronghold for conservative parties. “What this shows is that people who are living in urban areas are really fed up with the government that the military has provided for almost a decade,” said Patton. “They are wanting to choose something different, and Move Forward is not just the youth party but actually can attract a wider cross section of support as well.” Move Forward’s radical agenda includes reforming the military, getting rid of the draft, reducing the military’s budget, making it more transparent and accountable, as well as constitutional change and to bring the military and monarchy within the constitution. The party’s win over the populist juggernaut Pheu Thai is also significant. This is the first time a party linked with ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has lost an election since 2001. And Pheu Thai’s marginal defeat to Move Forward shows voters’ frustration with the old cycle of politics that pitted populist Thaksin-linked parties against the establishment. Move Forward Party supporters react to a speech from Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party, during a campaign rally in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Thailand’s Move Forward Party, which is surging in opinion polls ahead of the May 14 election, wants to reclaim the lost decade of military-backed rule with sweeping reforms to revitalize Southeast Asias second-largest economy. Photographer: Andre Malerba/Bloomberg Thailand’s young voters spearhead ‘earth-shaking’ calls for change in military dominated kingdom Thailand’s “two party system was already breaking down in 2019, but it’s continuing to break down this election,” said Patton. In a press conference on Monday, Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat said the party would go forward with plans to amend the country’s strict lese majeste laws – a key campaign pledge despite the taboo surrounding any discussion of the royal family in Thailand. One of his priorities is to support young people facing jail terms on lese majeste charges, and Pita warned that if the law remains as it is, the relationship between the Thai people and the monarchy will only worsen. His policies “strike at heart of the establishment,” said Thitinan, and even talking about the monarchy openly “is an affront to the palace.” The Move Forward leader said Monday that he wants to form an alliance with the four other opposition parties to secure a majority in the lower house. It could take 60 days before a prime ministerial candidate is endorsed by Thailand’s combined houses of parliament, but Sunday’s vote shows the people are ready for change. However, if Thailand’s turbulent recent history is anything to go by, that could mean little. The military has shown in the past that it has few qualms about ignoring the popular vote.ChatGPT
Title: “Thai Democracy Faces Uncertainty After Landslide Election Win for Opposition”
By Helen Regan, CNN Updated on May 16, 2023, at 2:44 AM EDT
Thai voters have sent a powerful message to the country’s military-backed government: they do not have the mandate to rule. In a remarkable turn of events, the progressive Move Forward Party, known for its reformist agenda, secured the most seats and the largest share of the popular vote in Thailand’s recent elections. Pheu Thai, a long-standing populist opposition party, came in second place. Together, they dealt a significant blow to the conservative, military-backed establishment that has frequently ousted democratically elected governments through coups.
“This is an unmistakable frontal rebuke, a rejection of Thailand’s military authoritarian past. It’s a rejection of military dominance in politics,” commented Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist from Chulalongkorn University. Over the past two decades, whenever Thais have had the opportunity to vote, they have overwhelmingly supported political opponents of the military. The recent vote, marked by record turnout, continues this trend.
Despite their electoral victory, it remains uncertain who will lead Thailand next. The military junta that seized power in 2014 revised the constitution to ensure a significant say in selecting the country’s leader, regardless of the election outcome. Neither opposition party achieved an outright majority of 376 seats required to form a government. Instead, they must navigate the challenge of forming coalitions with other parties to secure victory.
The first obstacle to forming a government is the powerful voting bloc of the senate, whose 250 seats are handpicked by the military under the junta-era constitution. Opposition parties require nearly three times as many votes in the lower house to elect the next leader and form a government due to this constitutional setup. In 2019, coup leader Prayut Chan-o-cha secured the senate votes, enabling his coalition to elect him as prime minister, despite Pheu Thai being the largest party.
Moreover, the progressive movement faces other threats, as parties advocating for change have previously clashed with the influential conservative establishment, comprising the military, monarchy, and elites. In Thailand’s history, a dozen successful coups have occurred since 1932, including two in the past 17 years. Key institutions such as the election commission, anti-corruption commission, and the constitutional court are believed to lean in favor of the establishment.
Nevertheless, the progressive camp holds a substantial lead over military-backed parties. If attempts are made to undermine the vote, public anger and protests are expected. The dissolution of a party with such a mandate would be a drastic measure, but it cannot be ruled out.
The victory of the Move Forward Party transcends the youth vote that initially formed its base. Unofficial results indicate that the party secured 32 out of 33 seats in Bangkok, traditionally a conservative stronghold. This outcome reflects urban residents’ frustration with the military’s governance over the past decade.
Move Forward’s ambitious agenda includes military reform, ending the draft, budget transparency, constitutional changes, and incorporating the military and monarchy within the constitution. Their win against Pheu Thai marks the first time a party linked to ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has lost an election since 2001.
The Move Forward leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, intends to address Thailand’s strict lese majeste laws, a key campaign promise despite the taboo surrounding royal family discussions. He aims to support young individuals facing lese majeste charges, emphasizing that retaining the existing law will deteriorate the Thai people’s relationship with the monarchy.
Pita seeks an alliance with four other opposition parties to secure a majority in the lower house. While it may take up to 60 days before a prime ministerial candidate is endorsed by Thailand’s combined houses of parliament, the recent vote demonstrates the public’s readiness for change. However, given Thailand’s turbulent political history, the military’s willingness to disregard the popular vote remains a lingering concern.