Thailand PM Cuts out Move Forward Party

[Editor: I want to wrap up this series on the democratic movement in Thailand. A Prime Minister, real estate mogul Srettha Thavisin, has been chosen from the Pheu Thai Party, and a coalition government has been formed, but without members of the Move Forward Party, which won the majority of the popular vote. The following article from CNN summarizes the twisty turn of events that led to this anti-democratic result. The best we can say about this situation is that at least Thailand didn’t up with a military dictatorship.]

The CNN article is not reproduced in full to avoid copyright violations. Read more at the link below.

“Tuesday was a dramatic day in Thailand as parliament staved off a potential political crisis by finally voting for a new prime minister as one of the country’s most polarizing figures returned from a 15-year self exile. 

Thai lawmakers chose real estate tycoon and political newcomer Srettha Thavisin of the populist Pheu Thai party to be the country’s 30th prime minister – an outcome that ended three months of deadlock but one that saw the party enter into a governing coalition with its longtime military enemies. 

Srettha, 60, received 482 votes out of a possible 747 in both houses of parliament, far more than the majority needed to secure the premiership.

[…….]

Some analysts say his return was part of a wider arrangement with the country’s powerful conservative and royalist establishment that involved a reduced jail term or possible pardon in exchange for keeping the election-winning Move Forward Partyfrom enacting its reformist policies that targeted the heart of this establishment.”

Read the full CNN article here: https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/23/asia/thailand-explainer-election-prime-minister-intl-hnk/index.html