Thai Parliament convenes to vote for new PM with incumbent leader expected to stay
ABC News
Thailand’s Parliament has convened to pick a new prime minister
BANGKOK -- The Thai Parliament convened Thursday as lawmakers prepared to vote for a new prime minister, more than a month after a general election that showed a conservative shift in the country’s politics.
Incumbent Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is expected to secure enough support from the 500-member House of Representatives to remain in office. A simple majority is required to elect a prime minister.
Anutin’s Bhumjaithai Party won 191 seats, according to official results, and has since built a coalition with several other parties to form a governing majority. Among its partners is the populist Pheu Thai Party, which placed third with 74 seats.
The progressive People’s Party, which finished second with 120 seats, has said it will not join the Bhumjaithai-led government. However, it is expected to nominate one of its candidates as a rival in Thursday’s vote in what the party said would only be a symbolic contest.
Anutin became prime minister only in September after serving in the Cabinet of his immediate predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was forced out of office for an ethics violation regarding mishandling relations with Cambodia. Anutin dissolved Parliament in December to call an early election after he was threatened with a no-confidence vote.
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