Move Forward to get no less than 80 MPs in next election: Thanathorn

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit has forecast the Move Forward Party will get no less than 80 MPs in the next general election.

Thanathorn who had led the Future Forward Party running for MPs in the 2019 election predicted the Move Forward will get no less than 80 MPs or more in the next election, roughly equal to the number won by the dissolved party in the previous one.

Move Forward contestants headed by party leader Pita Limjaroenrat will be voted MPs in both constituency-based and party-listed modes, according to the Progressive Movement leader.

Thanathorn said he believed many, if not most, of an estimated 3.2 million eligible first-time voters will vote for Move Forward contenders in the nationwide election, expected early next year.

In the previous election, the dissolved Future Forward was given some 6.3 million votes, mostly from first-time voters and young generations.

Nevertheless, Progressive Movement co-leader Piyabutr Saengkanokkul has earlier forecast the Move Forward will get less MPs than the Future Forward in the next election, primarily due to voters’ common preference to help make a Pheu Thai landslide victory come true. Those voters would simply prefer to see the Pheu Thai much rather than the Palang Pracharath or any others as core of a post-election government, thus only looking to pick the Pheu Thai contestants in both electoral modes, according to Piyabutr. 

Meanwhile, Thanathorn said the Move Forward will definitely not join hands with the ruling Palang Pracharath or brand-new Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party in setting up a post-election coalition because, he pointed out, the leadership of either camp evidently upholds different fundamental values from those of Pita’s party.

“Given the fact that Palang Pracharath leader Prawit Wongsuwan took a leading role in the 2014 coup, it will be very unlikely for the Move Forward to be part of a coalition with his party. I wonder what the Move Forward might otherwise possibly do, given their ultimate differences in fundamental values,” Thanathorn said.

During a House meeting earlier this year, Prawit categorically dismissed criticism that he had been more or less involved in the coup and literally pointed at Prayut, seated next to him, as the one entirely responsible for it.

Thanathorn also ruled out possibilities of the Move Forward ever contemplating being part of a coalition with the Ruam Thai Sang Chart which has openly pledged solid support for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s design to prolong his rule for two more years after the next general election.

Prayut who orchestrated the 2014 coup as army chief has earlier decided to run for prime minister under the Ruam Thai Sang Chart banners.

CAPTIONS:

Top: Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. Photo:  INN News

Front Page: Thanathorn with the Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat. Photo: Matichon

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