After weeks of wrangling over which party gets the House Speaker role, Move Forward and Pheu Thai have agreed it won’t be either of them. Instead, both parties yesterday agreed to nominate the leader of their coalition partner, the Prachachat Party.
Veteran politician Wan Muhamad Noor Matha has been nominated as the sole candidate for the much sought after role. The parties also agreed that the role of first deputy Speaker will go to a Move Forward MP, while a Pheu Thai MP will take the position of second deputy Speaker.
According to a Thai PBS World report, Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat has confirmed that all other coalition parties have been made aware of the decisions reached yesterday. It’s understood the parties have all agreed to adhere to the conditions of the MoU they all signed and get behind Pita’s prime ministerial bid.
Pita went on to say that with Wan Muhamad in the role of House Speaker, and Move Forward and Pheu Thai holding the deputy speaker roles, there will be a drive to pass legislation that allows for reform of the military and grants amnesty to those charged with political offences.
The MFP leader has also described the resolution of the House Speaker role as a “critical step” in his bid for the top job, adding that it “reflects the unity of the coalition parties.”
Agreeing to give the role to Wan Muhamad is seen as a significant concession by MFP, as the party has always insisted it needed the role to push through legislation that would make good on its campaign pledges.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
