Thanathorn says he will be Thailand’s Prime Minister of change
Future Forward’s 40 year old leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit has called for change this afternoon. He made his speech outside of the temporary parliament as he’s been barred as an MP pending legal cases yet to be heard by the Constitutional Court over alleged media share holdings.
The speech was made as the parliament hears from MPs about why they support one candidate or the other.
Both current PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and Thanathorn were nominated as PMs to lead the new parliament this morning.
“I am ready to be Thailand’s next prime minister. I will be the prime minister of change.”
“Coups will only lead Thailand to deadends. We must make parliament a place of honour, not a place where people’s faith goes to die.”
750 MPs and Senators are in a joint sitting of the two houses of parliament with the numbers heavily stacked against the tycoon businessman whose party, Future Forward, was the stand-out new performer in the March 24 election.
A new PM will require at least 376 votes, or more than half the joint parliament seats – a total of 750 – 500 MPs in the lower house elected on March 24 and 250 Junta-appointed senators who will likely vote as a bloc for Prayut.
