The sweeping victory of Thailand’s General Election favourite, the innovative Move Forward Party (MFP) has left the Thai political landscape teetering on the edge of radical reform. In an act of steadfast dedication to their principles, the MFP has dug its heels into the sand over the contentious lese majeste law, effectively dividing the ranks of the Pheu Thai Party and their eight-party coalition.
The fallout was rather swift, as the Pheu Thai Party peeled away from their former ally and proceeded to form a new government with other players, despite pulling in second in the General Election’s standing.
Cementing their common goals, eight political factions had earlier signed a consensus memorandum of understanding (MOU) in the aftermath of the intense 2023 General Election. The pact, which outlined a comprehensive list of 23 governing principles, included the MFP, Pheu Thai Party, Thai Sang Thai Party, Prachachart Party, Seree Ruam Thai Party, Pheu Thai Ruam Palang Party, Fair Party, and Plung Sungkom Mai Party.
The coalition’s prime ministerial preference seemed to sway towards Pita Limjaroenrat, the strategically sharp leader of the MFP, but unfortunately, a consensus remained elusive. The sticking point was the MFP’s intended modification of Section 112 of the Criminal Law, colloquially referred to as the lese majeste law. The MFP’s controversial stance triggered response, prompting them to retreat and offer the Pheu Thai Party the reins, inviting them to elect a Prime Minister and lead the coalition.
In an ironic twist, the Pheu Thai Party began liaising with parties holding divergent ideologies, such as the Bhumjaithai Party, Ruam Thai Sang Chart, and Palang Pracharath. This prompted a hurried meeting between the MFP and Pheu Thai Party to chart a way forward. The Pheu Thai Party maintained their rigid stance against any reform to the lese majeste law.
The Pheu Thai Party’s fears revolved around losing senatorial support for their PM-hopeful, Srettha Thavisin, if the MFP did not retract its proposition to reform the lese majeste law. Unswayed, the MFP stood by their campaign promise to their electorate and dismissed the Pheu Thai Party’s concerns.
This impasse resulted in a crucial decision from the Pheu Thai Party, who then excused themselves from the coalition and ostracized the MFP, effectively freezing them out from the process of forming a new government. The Pheu Thai Party backed their stance with an official statement.
“Our party, along with Srettha Thavisin, are resolute in our conviction of not supporting a revision to the lese majeste law, thus MFP will not be a participant in the creation of the new government. We are confident in our capability of securing enough votes to reach our goal. The MFP will now function as an opposition party, essentially embodying a new political dimension in Thailand.”
The statement also briefly touches upon future plans, highlighting the prioritization of constitutional revision among other salient issues like the Progressive Liquor Act, same-sex marriage recognition, armed force restructuring, and other policy areas that had found favour with the erstwhile aligned parties.
This development sparked an immediate reaction from the public, with protesters gathering at the Asok Intersection in Bangkok. They implored the eight parties to sustain their unity and refrain from any single-party domination in opposition. There was also a call to wait for the end of the senators term in ten months before the process to select a new PM is initiated.
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