Thailand’s Constitutional Court has temporarily suspended prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat from parliament. This comes after a case was accepted against him, alleging that he was unqualified to run in a May 14 election. Pita, who was scheduled to participate in a parliamentary vote for the premiership, has defended himself by stating that his ownership of shares in a media company did not violate election rules. The court has given him 15 days to respond to the allegations.
Despite the suspension, Pita’s election-winning Move Forward Party believes that it will not affect his nomination for the prime ministerial vote. Rival politicians have been attempting to block his candidacy. In order to become the next prime minister, the 42-year-old liberal, who was educated in the United States, needs the support of over half of the bicameral parliament. However, he faces strong opposition from the military, which opposes his party’s anti-establishment goals. Last week, Pita’s initial bid was unsuccessful as he was blocked by the army-appointed Senate in a joint vote for the premiership.
The reporting for this article was done by Panarat Thepgumpanat, Panu Wongcha-um, and Chayut Setboonsarng. The writing was done by Martin Petty, with editing by Michael Perry and Robert Birsel. The article adheres to The Thomson RushHourDaily Trust Principles.
