Deputy speaker says Pita’s PM bid over as Thailand braces for more turmoil

Deputy House Speaker Pichet Chuamuangphan said election-winning Move Forward’s leader Pita Limjaroenrat will not be included in next week’s third vote for a premier

Property tycoon Srettha Thavisin from the runner-up Pheu Thai party is likely to be nominated for prime minister as kingdom faces more political upheaval

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Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat. Photo: AP

Published: 1:50pm, 20 Jul 2023Updated: 2:00pm, 20 Jul 2023

Thailand’s parliament will hold another vote for a prime minister next week which cannot include the leader of election winners Move Forward, a deputy speaker said on Thursday, after his renomination was blocked.

Parliament’s move to deny Pita Limjaroenrat after a marathon debate on his eligibility on Wednesday triggered angry street protests, as a post-election crisis deepens two months after his party trounced military-backed rivals in an election.

“A candidate can only be nominated once in each parliamentary session,” Deputy House Speaker Pichet Chuamuangphan said on Thursday.

The US-educated Pita, 42, has faced tough resistance from conservative and royalist forces that clash with the party’s anti-establishment policies.

On Wednesday, parliament voted to block his second bid for the premiership and the Constitutional Court suspended him as lawmaker as it investigates a case against him over allegations that he violated election law for holding shares in a media company. Pita denies breaking election rules.