The winner of Thailand’s national election, the opposition Move Forward Party, joined up with seven other parties to create an alliance they hope would result in the establishment of a coalition government in July.
The Liberal Move Forward Party emerged victorious in the May 14 general election, after gaining 152 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives. The Move Forward Party campaigned on the premises of administrative reforms, after nine years of military rule.
The 23-point agreement avoided series of contentious topics, while attempting to preserve the majority of the agenda that helped it achieve the victory. The accord left out the thorny matter of amending a strict law that forbids criticizing the monarchy.
However, many of the younger Thais want to see that, suggestion have been taken into consideration together with other constitutional changes. The reason has been that, it was a component of the Move Forward campaign agenda. Conservatives, who view the monarchy as a cornerstone of Thai national character, are opposed to any modifications to the statute, which carries jail terms of up to 15 years. Some of Parties in the pact, did not want to be connected to any requests for legislative reform, no matter how modest.
According to the agreement, “all parties agree that every mission that the government will undertake must not affect the status of the country as a unitary state, the status of the country as a democracy under a constitutional monarchy framework, and the inviolable status of the monarch.”
Move Forward Party’s leader and Prime Minister elect, Pita Limjaroenrat disclosed that, negotiations were “fruitful,” comprehensive, and a good start.
“I’m the Prime Minister-elect and there are several roadblocks as you understand it, but we have a strong team to manage it, and hopefully, to be able to minimize the risk and minimize the destabilizing factors that have affected our economy.”
The opposition Pheu Thai party, a longtime opposition of the army, whose previous administration was overthrown in a military coup in 2014, placed second in the election, explaining the Thai people’s desire for change.
The deal featured numerous Move Forward’s fundamental policies, including creating a new, more democratic constitution, legalizing same-sex marriages, decentralizing governance, and switching from conscription to voluntary membership in the military “except when the country is at war.”
Abolition of commercial monopolies, changes to the police, military, public service, and judicial system, as well as the reinstatement of marijuana production and sale restrictions following last year’s ill-advised de facto decriminalization, have also been demanded.
Would Coalition Government Be Possible
Despite having a sizable majority with 313 seats in the lower house, the eight-party coalition is not certain it would be able to seize power. Per the military-drafted constitution, the Senate, whose 250 members were chosen by the military administration, and the lower house must vote together to choose the prime minister.
It follows that, the winning candidate must receive at least 376 votes. This means, the coalition government would definitely require some backing from the Senate, a staunchly conservative royalist parliament.
The pact agreement would need an adjustment with some policies outlined by the Move Forward Party. The proposal called for a “Marriage Equality Act to ensure equal rights for all couples, regardless of gender,” but it also specifies that it should be carried out “without infringing upon the religious principles each individual adheres to.”
The nine-seat Prachachat Party, whose supporters are socially orthodox Muslims in southern Thailand, sees the diction as crucial to their support. The Prachachat’s Party has raised concerns about the monopoly provision, claiming the policies would target highly protected large alcoholic beverage producers.
“Abolish monopolies and promote fair competition in all industries, such as alcoholic beverages, with Prachchat Party reserving their right to disagree on alcoholic industry only, due to their religious reasons,” the pact read.
In the section of the document titled, “General Principles,” it is stated that “All Parties have the right to advocate for additional policies so long as they do not contradict the policies outlined in this Agreement.”
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