Thai court suspends election winner from parliament

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The winner of Thailand’s general election has been suspended from parliament just hours before a vote on who will become prime minister.

In a dramatic timely ruling, Thailand’s Constitutional Court has reportedly accepted a case related to Pita Limjaroenrat’s shares in a television broadcaster, suspending him for 15 days pending a verdict.

It marks the latest escalation in an increasingly tense standoff between the clear winners of May’s general election – Pita and his Move Forward party – and a conservative establishment of generals, oligarchs and royal officials determined to keep them out of power.

Pita urged his fellow members to “take care of the people”, and then, pretending to leave behind his parliamentary ID, walked out of the assembly chamber to the applause of his party.

Today’s vote marks a pivotal moment for the 42-year-old former businessman as unelected senators last week blocked his maiden bid for the premiership. If he loses again today, the assembly could move to consider rival candidates, while his supporters have threatened to take to the streets in protest.

Move Forward, considered a social democratic or centre-left force in Thai politics, won 151 out of 500 seats in the May election. Its ally, the Phu Thai Party, won another 141 seats.

However, the vote to become Prime Minister is held jointly with the 250 senators appointed by the former military junta, so a candidate needs 376 votes to win. Last week, nearly all senators either voted against Pita or abstained, leaving him well behind the line of victory.

The court case is emblematic of another tactic to prevent it from moving forward. This means that Pita will not be able to vote for his candidacy, even if Parliament allows a second vote on his nomination.

“Under the current system it is clear that winning the trust of the people is not enough to run the country,” Pita said. “You have to ask the Senate first. And maybe even this is not enough to get my name nominated for the second time.

In a statement, the constitutional court said the facts before it “show reasonable doubt” that Pita had stakes in the media business and was therefore disqualified to sit in parliament.

The case relates to allegations that Pita owned 42,000 shares in defunct TV station ITV.

His defenders say his shareholding in the company is 0.000035 per cent, ITV has not broadcast since 2007 and the shareholding was never increased before when Pita was a Member of Parliament.

Pita has said that he inherited the shares, they have no economic value and he has now transferred them to a relative.

If Pita is disqualified or voted out, one option for the coalition parties is to propose a prime minister from Phu Thai, but analysts said the establishment could block any government from taking office that included Move Forward. is included.