Weng Tojirakarn, the former red-shirt leader, has expressed his distaste towards Khunying Porntip Rojanasunan. The reason behind his disappointment is her public declaration that she will not be using her senatorial vote for the appointment of a Prime Minister, regardless of the candidates. Reacting to this decision, Weng Tojirakarn suggested that Senator Porntip consider stepping down from her position if the refusal to use her voting rights is her final decision.
Weng shared his thoughts in a post on his Facebook account. His message was directed at Porntip, as he stated, “An esteemed senator such as yourself, appointed under the 2017 Constitution, must understand that the only way to relinquish your power is through resignation, not by refusing to exercise your right to vote. Abstention, in any form, contradicts the will of the people. Maintain your self-respect and remain true to yourself.”
He expressed his concern, “Sans the senators appointed according to the 2017 constitution, the voice of the citizens would have held sanctity and force. But their presence distorts this consensus. Having no senators would be a better proposition.”
Weng’s reaction was in direct response to the assertions made by the former director of the Central Institute of Forensic Science. Porntip made her stance clear that under no circumstances will she use her senatorial power to vote for a Prime Minister, regardless of the candidate. This declaration invited criticism primarily from the Move Forward Party (MFP) constituents.
Following the bicameral parliament voting session on July 13, MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat failed to gather enough support to secure the position of the 30th Prime Minister of Thailand. Out of the 705 elected representatives and appointed senators who had participated in the voting session, 324 voted in favor, 182 against and 199 abstained. For securing office, Pita Limjaroenrat needed a simple majority of the total of 749 votes from the combined House and Senate, replicating 375 votes.
Furthermore, Pita Limjaroenrat received 311 favorable votes from MPs, and 148 against him, with 39 abstentions. He received only 13 positive votes from senators, with 34 against and 159 abstentions.
On July 14, the MFP presented a proposal to parliament that aimed to restrict the power of military-appointed senators in co-selecting the prime minister. The party’s objective is to invalidate Section 272 of the constitution that grants the 250-member Senate the right to participate in the appointment process of the Prime Minister.
Renu Tunkachivangoon, one of the 250 military-appointed senators, resigned a day before the vote on July 13. However, her reasons for resignation have not been disclosed. Renu served as the deputy secretary-general to the Prime Minister for political affairs, appointed to the Senate by the defunct National Council for Peace and Order organized by the coup makers.
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