The majority of the joint sitting of the House and the Senate voted to reject the re-nomination of election-winning Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat after the lengthy debate on Wednesday.
During Wednesday’s session, Pheu Thai party-list MP, Sutin Klangsaeng proposed Mr. Pita for the prime minister vote again after he did not secure enough votes from the bicameral parliament in his initial PM bid on July13. The proposal was opposed by MP Akaradej Wongpitakroj from the United Thai Nation Party, citing the resubmission of the failed motion was against the parliament regulation No.41.
House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha allowed the debate on the legality of Pita’s re-nomination. Move Forward party MPs insisted that the nomination of a prime ministerial candidate was a matter open for consideration in the process to select a new prime minister and was not a repeat motion as stated in the regulation.
At 4.50 pm, House speaker ordered the end of the debate and requested the members to vote to determine whether the re-nominate of Pita violated the regulation or not.
The result showed 715 members present. 395 voted against the re-nomination of Mr. Pita, 312 in favour, eight abstained, and one did not cast a vote. Since the number of votes against the resubmission was more than half, it was deemed that Mr. Pita’s nomination could not be presented for a second round. The meeting ended at 5.09 PM. (TNA)
