Thai candidate to stand again for PM post

Описание: (17 Jul 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bangkok - 17 July 2023
1. Tracking of Move Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat coming down steps along with coalition allies
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Pita Limjaroenrat, Leader of Move Forward Party:
"First, with the upcoming – 19th on Wednesday – the candidacy for prime minister will still be me, in the second time.”
3. Pan of journalists
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Pita Limjaroenrat, Leader of Move Forward Party:
“If there's no improvement, substantial improvement, then I think I have to think about this country, think about the vacuum that people is waiting for, in order to secure this 8-party MOU (memorandum of understanding), I would step aside and let the second party try to be the manager of the next cabinet.”
5. Wide of media and politicians
6. Wide of Pita coming back down steps with leader of Pheu Thai Party, Chonlanan Srikaew
7. Close of pair shaking hands, tilt up to Pita

STORYLINE:
The leader of the Move Forward party Pita Limjaroenrat said on Monday he will once again be nominated for selection as Thailand’s prime minister before a joint sitting of parliament midweek, despite being defeated in his initial attempt last week.

“The candidacy for prime minister will still be me, for the second time,” Pita told reporters at the end of a meeting of the eight-party coalition that came together after May’s election, in hopes of forming a government.

Though the coalition commands a clear majority in the lower house, the unelected senate is also allowed to participate in the election of the prime minister. The senate was selected by the previous military junta and has a track record of voting overwhelmingly in favour of conservative interests.

In the first vote, last Thursday, lack of senate support was a prime cause of Pita’s failure to secure the prime minister’s position.

The right of the unelected senators to help choose who gets the post is deeply controversial, with critics saying it gives the conservative elite a virtual lock on deciding who leads the country.

It is widely anticipated that the charismatic 42-year-old Move Forward leader will fail again, for the same reason. Addressing the point Pita said if that happens he will allow someone from the Pheu Thai party – runner-up in May’s election - to step up and try to secure the premiership.

“If there is no improvement, no substantial improvement then I have to think about this country, think about the vacuum that people are waiting for, in order to secure this 8-party MOU, I would step aside and let the second party try to be the manager of the next cabinet.”

A host of obstacles are piling up for Pita in order to stop him winning. These include procedural points seeking to prevent him being nominated a second time and legal moves to disqualify him from politics.

AP video shot by: Tian Macleod Ji

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