Election for Thai premier goes to 2nd round

ISTANBUL

The frontrunner in the race to become Thailand's next prime minister failed to garner the minimum 375 votes in the country's parliament on Thursday, with lawmakers to hold a second round at a later date.

Pita Limjaroenrat of the Move Forward Party got only 324 votes at a joint session of the bicameral parliament to elect the Buddhist-majority nation's 30th prime minister following general elections in May.

According to public broadcaster Thai PBS, 182 lawmakers voted against Pita, 42, while 199 others abstained from voting. A total of 705 lawmakers cast their ballot, including, crucially, members of the junta-appointed Senate.

Initially commanding the support of 312 lawmakers in his coalition, Pita received only 12 votes from other parties.

The second round of the vote will be held on July 19.

Thailand's parliament — consisting of 500 elected lawmakers and 250 senators — voted during the election for the prime minister's post in the joint session.

He was the sole contender for the post after he was nominated by Pheu Thai Party leader Cholnan Srikaew during a joint sitting of the bicameral parliament. Some 302 lawmakers backed the nomination.

"(...) Listening to junta-appointed senators today, it's most unlikely the results will differ (during second round). Most were against Pita's pledge to amend lese majeste law," Thai commentator Pravit Rojanaphruk said on Twitter.

"The second vote on PM (election) will not be easy," Pita said after the vote count concluded.

He, however, added Pita was "not giving up on trying to talk to and gain more votes from other MPs and senators."

Authorities had taken security measures around the parliament amid fears of protests.

The MFP swept to a surprise first-place finish in the general elections held in May, capturing 151 seats in the 500-member National Assembly.

It is leading an eight-party, 312-seat coalition to take over the government.

But the unlikely approval from members in the 250-seat unelected Senate, which participates in the vote for prime minister, makes Pita’s path to power a difficult one.

Pita is also facing a test from Thailand’s Constitutional Court as the nation’s election authority sought action against the frontrunner over allegations of hiding his shares in a media outlet during the elections.

His party called the election authority’s move to approach the top court “unfair.”

The election body in a statement today refuted allegations by the MFP and said it followed the law to take Pita’s case to the top court.

After the election body’s move, the MFP has called for protests.

If elected, Pita will succeed military coup plotter-turned-Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha who is in power since 2014.