In a vote, the majority agreed he should not be allowed to run again, voiding his nomination. But, separately, Pita’s rivals in parliament argued he should not be allowed to run to become prime minister because he had already done so last week, and failed. The suspension did not affect Pita’s ability to be nominated to run for prime minister in Wednesday’s vote, as it was not necessary for candidates to be an MP. The allegations being investigated by the constitutional court centred on claims that Pita was ineligible to run in the election as he owned media shares – an allegation he denies. Pita was expected to contest a parliamentary vote to become prime minister on Wednesday, a necessary hurdle under Thai election rules that were written after the last coup and were tilted in favour of military-aligned candidates. “How long do I have to live with the misery of this country, where the senators are bigger than the people?” wrote one commentator, referring to the unelected, military-appointed senate that has played a key role in blocking Pita’s attempt to assume office. Many also vented their anger on social media. One protester held a sign that read: “The PM must come from the majority votes of people.” Another accused the election commission, senators and other lawmakers of showing “hatred towards the electoral system that follows democracy”. In the afternoon, protesters dressed in orange, the colour of Move Forward, began to gather at Democracy Monument in Bangkok, where a banner was draped that said: “Pita consensus of the people”. Pita is temporarily suspended pending a court ruling, and has 15 days to respond, the court said in a statement. The people have won half of this journey and there is another half to go.” Referring to the date of the election, he said: “I think Thailand has changed and will never be the same as it was before 14 May.
“I would like to say goodbye until we meet again,” he said, raising his fist as he left the assembly floor to cheers by his allies.
On Wednesday, Pita was expected to begin a second attempt to secure enough parliamentary support to become prime minister, but on the same day the constitutional court announced his suspension from parliament after accepting a case that alleged he was not eligible to run in the election.Īddressing parliament, Pita said he would respect the court order and urged other MPs to serve the public well.
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