Thailand's parliament made a decision on Wednesday to invalidate Pita Limjaroenat's nomination for prime minister. The parliament house speaker stated that Pita cannot be nominated twice in the same parliamentary session, following his failure to secure a PM vote last week, DW reports.
This development occurred as the Thai parliament assembled to vote for a new prime minister. Pita's Move Forward party, which advocates social democracy, emerged as the strongest party in the May 14 general election, winning 151 seats.
Before the parliamentary decision, the Thai Constitutional Court temporarily suspended Pita from his duties as a lawmaker while considering an electoral crimes case against him. The court is examining an Election Committee petition aimed at disqualifying Pita's status as a member of parliament. The court majority voted for the suspension, stating that Pita must refrain from his role starting from July 19 until the court reaches a verdict.
The case against Pita revolves around his stake in a defunct media company, as the Thai constitution prohibits lawmakers from owning media outlet stocks. Pita claims the stake was inherited from his father.
Despite facing opposition from Thailand's conservative elite, Pita had formed an eight-party coalition supporting his candidacy, with a total of 312 seats in the House of Representatives. However, the military-backed Senate rejected his premiership due to his party's pro-democracy stance and economic reforms.
The latest court ruling is considered a significant setback for Pita's campaign, and it further reduces the chances of gaining Senate support for his candidacy.
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