16-7-2023 (BANGKOK) Approximately 700 individuals, utilizing 500 cars and motorcycles, participated in a rally held in central Bangkok on Sunday afternoon. The demonstration aimed to demand the resignation of senators who had abstained from voting for prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat from the Move Forward Party. The rally commenced at Democracy Monument and subsequently moved to the headquarters of the navy, army, and police.
Among those absent during the joint sitting of the House and the Senate last Thursday were the chiefs of the armed forces and the police, as well as the chief of the defence forces and the permanent secretary for defence – all of whom are senators. This session marked the parliamentary vote on Mr Pita, who was the sole prime ministerial candidate and leader of the Move Forward Party.
Activist Arnon Nampa, leading the demonstration, highlighted that if the concerned senators were to resign, the threshold majority vote from the House and Senate would be adequate for Mr Pita to assume the position of prime minister. He stated, “It (the resignation) would reduce the votes of senators and the number of (majority) votes needed to elect the pro-democracy parties to be lower than 376.”
Under the current military-drafted constitution, 250 unelected senators are allowed to participate in the prime ministerial vote alongside the 500 elected House representatives. Arnon urged the senators to vote in favor of Mr Pita in the subsequent round of the prime ministerial vote, emphasizing that he was the candidate backed by eight political allies who held a majority in the House with 312 out of 500 votes.
Activist Arnon Nampa, leading the pro-democracy rally in Bangkok, called on senators participating in the next prime ministerial vote to respect the people’s choice and support the eight coalition parties. During the previous vote, only 13 out of 249 senators had voted in favor of Mr. Pita Limjaroenrat.
Arnon expressed gratitude for the moral support given by the demonstrators to the 312 House representatives and the 13 senators who had supported Mr. Pita in the previous vote. He hoped that the car rally would inspire people across the nation to show their support and stand up for a pro-democracy government, in line with their choice made during the May 14 general election.
Emphasizing that Mr. Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party, is the most politically legitimate candidate for the prime ministerial position as the winner of the election, Arnon urged the coalition parties to remain united. He cautioned against any alliance between the Move Forward Party or the Pheu Thai Party with any political party from the caretaker government, warning that such a move would be met with public disapproval.
Following visits to the headquarters of the army, navy, and police, the car rally was set to conclude in front of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre in the Pathumwan area.
