Palang Pracharath expects no less than 70 constituency MPs

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

PALANG PRACHARATH leader Prawit Wongsuwan today (Apr.10) forecast his party will get no less than 70 MPs in constituency-based mode in the May 14 general election.

Prawit who is running as sole Palang Pracharath partisan contender for prime minister expressed confidence that his camp will get no less than 70 out of a total of 400 constituency-based MPs, especially those in northern, upper-central and Bangkok’s outlying provinces.

The Palang Pracharath boss stopped short of predicting how many MPs his party will get out of a total of 100 party-listed MPs but said his camp might probably get nearly 100 elected lawmakers in constituency-based and party-listed modes combined.

Meanwhile, the Palang Pracharath boss did not rule out the possibility that his party which is looking to “step beyond conflict” might set up a post-election alliance with the Ruam Thai Sang Chart under which caretaker prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is running to prolong his rule after the nationwide election.

Prawit has remained non-committal over sustained speculation that his party could perhaps join hands with the Pheu Thai which is speculating a landslide victory with as many as 310 MPs in constituency-based and party-listed modes combined.

Nevertheless, Prawit confirmed a possible alliance between Prayut’s camp and his own could only occur on condition that the one with more MPs than the other be given the chance to become core of a future government.

A contesting party is legally bound to have a minimum of 25 MPs to endorse the naming of a partisan candidate for prime minister.

Prawit categorically dismissed the possibility of a minority government being set up after the May 14 general election because, he said, that kind of government practically cannot run the country though one might possibly be given support from most of all 250 senators in the first place.

Head of a post-election government is legally obliged to get yea votes from more than half the total of MPs and senators combined or at least 376 out of a total of 750 legislators in the House of Representatives and Senate.

Prawit and Prayut are invariably viewed as personally close to each other and as part of the powerful Sam Por trio, including interior minister Anupong Paojinda. The Sam Por trio had been attached to Burapa Payak army barracks and finally promoted as army chief at separate intervals.

In the 2019 general election, Prayut who has risen to power by way of the 2014 coup was named by Prawit’s party as unelected prime minister.

CAPTION:

Palang Pracharath leader Prawit Wongsuwan with caretaker prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, above, and addressing a campaign rally recently, Front Page. Both photos: Thai Rath

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