The Promise of Change
In an exhilarating shake-up of Thai politics, Khun Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of the reformist Move Forward Party, has voiced his confidence about forming a coalition government following his party’s resounding victory in the recent elections. With an alliance already in place with seven other parties, Khun Pita reports that they now command a commanding 313 of the 376 votes necessary for forming the government.
The Move Forward Party drew in an impressive 36% of votes, reflecting a profound public rejection of nearly a decade of military-backed rule. However, the party’s journey to government is not guaranteed due to the structure of Thailand’s parliament, which comprises 500 elected positions in the lower house and 250 military-appointed unelected seats in the Senate.
Despite potential obstruction from the military-appointed Senate, Khun Pita presented his party’s path to government as an inevitable democratic transition, hoping to quell any conservative opposition.
A Democratic Inevitability
“We’ve got the momentum behind us,” Khun Pita confidently stated at a joint press conference on Thursday alongside leaders of his alliance. After tasting success in the elections, Move Forward promptly reached out to the second most popular party, Pheu Thai, with a vision to establish a potent coalition.
Move Forward clinched 152 of the 500 seats in the lower house, closely followed by Pheu Thai’s 141 seats. After several negotiations, Khun Pita announced on Thursday that a broad agreement on policy issues had been reached, laying the foundation for a new government administration.
“The 313 votes we have in the lower house are sufficient in a normal democratic system, and we do not need to seek any more partners,” he said.
A Rejection of Military-Backed Rule
The dramatic surge in support for Move Forward, paired with the clear majority bagged by the two leading opposition parties, has been widely interpreted as the Thai public’s condemnation of the military-backed rule since the 2014 coup.
The 250-member Senate, appointed entirely by the then-military government, has been heavily criticized for its power to vote on the selection of a new prime minister, a role that many Thai parties deem incompatible with democratic principles.
Supporters of Move Forward argue that if the Senate were to exercise that power, it would represent a flagrant disregard for the expressed will of the people at the ballot box and signify the last stand of an authoritarian regime that has been overwhelmingly rejected by the voters.
The Path to Reform
Despite the controversy surrounding the proposed reforms to the lese majeste royal defamation law, several senators have pledged their support for a Move Forward-led coalition. This support kindles hope that there may be enough backing to get the coalition over the super-majority threshold of 376 votes necessary to form a government.
Move Forward’s promise to reform the lese majeste laws, which harshly penalize those found guilty of criticising the royal family, resonated deeply with the country’s young voters. However, the third-largest party, Bhumjaithai, which won 70 seats, has explicitly stated that it will not support Move Forward due to these proposed reforms.
Despite this, Move Forward has stood firm, stating that it did not extend an invitation to Bhumjaithai to join its coalition, asserting that the alliance already holds a clear majority in the lower house.
The Power of Public Sentiment
In the wake of an election that sparked voter passion and hope, Move Forward has leveraged public sentiment to support its mandate for change. Some warn, however, that if the military authorities were to resort to extraparliamentary intervention, it could risk provoking a considerable public backlash.
As Thailand stands on the cusp of what may be a historic transformation, the world watches with bated breath.
