3-8-2023 (BANGKOK) The Pheu Thai Party has clarified that it did not request the Move Forward Party (MFP) to abandon its intention to amend Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese majeste law, during their meeting on Wednesday.
In a highly-anticipated announcement, Pheu Thai declared the dissolution of the eight-party alliance led by the MFP. The MFP secretary-general, Chaithawat Tulathon, stated that Pheu Thai never pressured his party to backtrack on the proposed lese majeste change, which had been a significant point of contention in forming the coalition. Pheu Thai had consistently maintained that the decision should be left to the MFP’s discretion, and they stood firm on their stance.
The primary obstacle in the formation of a new government arose from the MFP’s unwavering commitment to amend the lese majeste law. Many appointed senators expressed their refusal to vote for Mr. Pita Limjaroenrat, the MFP leader, as long as the MFP persisted in its proposed amendment to Section 112. Likewise, 188 MPs from the former coalition government parties declared their unwillingness to join a government led by Pheu Thai in conjunction with the MFP.
In an official statement read by Pheu Thai leader Dr. Cholnan Srikaew, the party asserted that the MFP’s stance on the lese majeste law was the primary reason behind several parties voting against or withdrawing their support for the MFP. Despite being fully aware of this obstacle, the MFP remained steadfast in its policy.
Mr. Chaithawat emphasized that Pheu Thai did not request the MFP’s support for Srettha Thavisin, who is set to be nominated as the prime minister in parliament on Friday.
Apologizing to their supporters for their inability to form a new coalition with Pheu Thai and six other parties, Mr. Chaithawat pledged that the MFP would continue to fight for equality, even if it meant operating as an opposition party. He decried the distortion of Thai politics, claiming that the highest power did not belong to the people, and vowed to embark on a mission for change.
The MFP will decide in a party meeting whether they will vote for Pheu Thai’s candidate for prime minister on Friday. MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat, currently receiving treatment for influenza in the hospital, has been informed of Pheu Thai’s decision to sever ties with the MFP.
Addressing a group of MFP supporters protesting at Pheu Thai’s head office on Wednesday, Rangsiman Rome, an MFP list-MP and party spokesman, lamented that their efforts to form an MFP-led coalition government had ended in disappointment. He likened the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) among all eight parties to a marriage certificate that ultimately led to a divorce. Rome expressed sorrow over shattered dreams that had been tantalizingly close to realization.
