Pita not petitioning charter court on second PM nomination

MOVE Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat said this afternoon (Aug. 16) he is not going to petition the Constitutional Court to rule whether he is legally allowed a second chance to be nominated prime minister pointing out this is a problem for Parliament to resolve, Matichon newspaper said.

The Ombudsman had sought a ruling on a House/Senate vote last month to deny him a second chance to be named and voted prime minister on grounds it violated Article 42 of House regulations.

However this court ruled today that the Ombudsman is not a person or entity directly involved or affected in this matter.

Pita said Move Forward MP and party spokesman Rangsiman Rome had already submitted a motion to discuss this issue at the House/Senate meeting.

Should House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha point out to what has changed then his party would move on from there, he said, adding that Parliament’s problems should be sorted out within the Parliament.

Wan Noor earlier said that the next House/Senate meeting to vote for a prime minister will take place on Tuesday Aug.22.

Regarding Rangsiman’s motion to review the vote denying Pita a second nomination as prime minister, Wan Noor said this was already on the agenda.

Now that there is a court ruling it must be discussed further and the matter will proceed according to the regulations, he added.

Pita was also asked whether it is beneficial that the Constitutional Court had extended the timeframe to give an explanation on another petition accusing him and his party of conspiring to undermine rule by pushing for amendment to the lese majeste law, and on this he replied that such extensions are normally allowed and that his party is not trying to undermine rule as charged.

Meanwhile Pita confirmed that from Friday to Sunday he will be helping his party’s candidate in the Rayong District 3 by-election campaign for votes.

CAPTION:

Top: Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat next to the Constitutional Court logo, above, and in Parliament last month, Front Page. Top photo: Thai Rath, Front Page photo: Matichon

Insert: Move Forward  MP and party spokesman Rangsiman Rome. Photo: Thai Rath

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