BANGKOK: Thailand’s acting prime minister has moved to dissolve parliament after the largest opposition group backed a rival candidate to lead the country.
The potentially legally fraught decision could see the kingdom hold fresh elections before year’s end, just two years after the last polls in May 2023.
A power vacuum has consumed Thailand’s top office since Friday when Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was ousted by the Constitutional Court over an ethics breach.
Her Pheu Thai party, still governing in a caretaker capacity, had courted the power-broking opposition People’s Party to back its new candidate for prime minister.
The People’s Party instead declared its support for conservative tycoon Anutin Charnvirakul, prompting the dissolution move.
Pheu Thai secretary general Sorawong Thienthong confirmed that acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has submitted a house dissolution decree.
Whether a caretaker government has the power to dissolve parliament remains a hotly debated constitutional question.
According to the Thai constitution, if the king approves the dissolution of parliament, an election must take place between 45 and 60 days later.
Political scientist Titipol Phakdeewanich stated that an election might be the best solution for the country given the current political impasse.
The People’s Party said its backing of Anutin was conditional on dissolution of the house within four months, meaning his elevation would likely lead to fresh polls.
Anutin previously served as deputy prime minister and health minister, delivering on his promise to legalise cannabis in 2022.
He was charged with Thailand’s Covid-19 response and accused Westerners of spreading the virus before apologising after a backlash.
Pheu Thai represents the Shinawatra dynasty, which has for two decades jousted with the kingdom’s pro-monarchy, pro-military elite.
Analysts say their influence is declining, with the move to dissolve parliament showing flagging political momentum.
Anutin’s Bhumjaithai Party was a key coalition backer of former prime minister Paetongtarn but abandoned their pact this summer over her conduct during a border row with Cambodia.
That same dispute resulted in Paetongtarn’s dismissal by the Constitutional Court on Friday.
Only candidates nominated as potential premiers in the 2023 election remain eligible to serve as prime minister, with the number of potential leaders reduced to just five.
The People’s Party succeeded the Move Forward party which won the most seats in 2023 polls campaigning to reduce military influence and reform lese-majeste laws.
Any new election could see the People’s Party resurrect the campaign to relax royal defamation laws, which resulted in Move Forward’s dissolution by court order.
Young Bangkok residents expressed frustration with the ongoing political struggles while their daily lives remain unchanged.
Many younger voters expressed desire for a new kind of politics beyond the traditional power struggles. – AFP
