By Thai Newsroom Reporters
DEPUTY HOUSE SPEAKER Padipat Santipada of the Move Forward will likely have to choose either to leave the second highest post in the legislative branch or be “technically ousted” from his current party to give way for the naming of an opposition leader from the same camp, partisan sources said today (Sep.15).
If Padipat finally decided for himself to stay on as Move Forward MP, he would certainly have to leave the Deputy House Speaker seat sooner than later in order to not stand in the way of the naming of a fellow Move Forward MP for opposition leader, albeit inadvertently, the sources said.
If the Move Forward MP of Phitsanulok was “technically dismissed” from the progressive party, he could then look for another camp to join in a 30-day time and keep the Deputy House Speaker seat to himself in accordance with the constitution.
The military-designed constitution prohibits an opposition leader from being attached to any party which may currently assume cabinet seats or House Speaker or Deputy House Speaker posts.
The Move Forward, scheduled on Sep.23 to hold an extraordinary caucus to elect a new party leader in place of Pita Limjaroenrat who resigned today alongside members of a new executive board of the party, would likely contemplate “technically ousting” Padipat from partisan membership if he eventually preferred to hold onto the Deputy House Speaker seat before the opposition leader is formally named.
If “technically dismissed” from the largest opposition party, Padipat could possibly join either a coalition partner or any opposition party other than his current camp where the opposition leader will almost certainly come from so he could practically retain his Deputy House Speaker seat, the sources said.
On the other hand, Padipat could not only retain his Move Forward membership but give way for the naming of a fellow Move Forward MP for opposition leader if he simply resigned as deputy House speaker, they said.
Meanwhile, a certain Move Forward MP who is yet to be named the new party leader will automatically perform as opposition leader in concurrent fashion.
Pita who called it quits as Move Forward leader to give way for a fellow MP of the same camp to become opposition leader still has his MP status intact though he has already been ordered by court to stop performing as an elected lawmaker, pending a court ruling on his having previously held a tiny fragment of shares in a non-operating ITV channel.
CAPTION:
Deputy House Speaker Padipat Santipada speaking at Parliament. Top photo: Matichon, Front Page photo: Thai Rath
Also read: Pita quits as Move Forward leader over naming of opposition leader
Teachers slams free tablet scheme, want more teachers hired
Update: Ex-senator charged with sexually abusing 15-year-old Thai/Myanmar girl
Ex-senator-politician surrenders in underage prostitution case
Pita in this year’s TIME100 Next list of emerging leaders
Party-dissolution bid against proponents of Deep South autonomy aborted
Cabinet approves 7 key measures at its first meeting
Chuan suggests Srettha to never follow In Thaksin’s footsteps
