MFP-led coalition resolves Thai House Speaker dispute with nominee from minority party

BANGKOK – The weeks-long tussle between two major Thai coalition partners over the role of House Speaker has reached a breakthrough after both parties agreed to nominate a third allied party leader for the post. 

Mr Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, 79, a veteran politician who leads the Prachachat Party, a minor party in the eight-party alliance hoping to form Thailand’s next government, will be put forward for the House Speakership seat, said Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat.

“(This resolution) shows unity, the principle of compromise and sacrifice for the goal of forming a coalition government... It shows that all parties can find common ground,” said Mr Pita.

MFP will take the First Deputy House Speaker seat, while Pheu Thai will fill the role of the Second Deputy Speaker, he said at an eleventh-hour press conference on Monday evening.

Negotiations between MFP and Pheu Thai had been

gridlocked earlier, with both parties seeking the position.

Pheu Thai deputy leader Phumtham Wechayachai said that his party had suggested Mr Wan Muhamad for the seat as he was a neutral candidate, and the move could resolve the dispute with MFP.

The decision to nominate Mr Wan Muhamad comes a day before the Lower House is expected to choose its House Speaker and deputies.

Since the eight parties agreed to form a 312-member bloc in hopes of forming the next government, MFP and Pheu Thai, which respectively received the most and second-most votes in the polls, have been at loggerheads over who would get the top legislative role.

MFP, which campaigned on progressive and liberal policies, was the winner of the May election with 151 seats; Pheu Thai won 141 seats. The two parties bagged the bulk of the 500 MP seats and had overwhelmingly beaten the outgoing government parties that have links to the royalist military. 

Prachachat, which has its supporter base in the far south of the country, is the third largest in the coalition bloc, with nine MPs.

Mr Wan Muhamad has held various Cabinet positions such as House Speaker and deputy prime minister in previous governments, including during the administration of the Thai Rak Thai, a predecessor of Pheu Thai.

The House Speaker presides over the House of Representatives and is responsible for directing parliamentary proceedings, including administrative and legal matters. They include deciding the date on which Parliament votes for the prime minister, which is expected some time in mid-July. 

Monday’s announcement came after newly elected lawmakers convened earlier in the evening for the state opening of Parliament by King Maha Vajiralongkorn. 

Addressing the elected MPs, the King said they had been tasked with electing laws in the interest of the country and its citizens. “The prosperity of the country will depend on your intelligence, ability and honesty,” he said. 

Members of the outgoing government, including PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, a former army chief who has helmed Thailand since staging the 2014 military coup, were also present at the ceremony.

Mr Prayut’s United Thai Nation party was trounced in the election, clinching only 36 seats.

MFP and Pheu Thai’s public disagreement over the House Speaker role raised worries that the bloc, which promised to rewrite Thailand’s military-influenced Constitution, could crumble before entering Government House. 

“This is a critical step for us to move forward on the journey for me to become prime minister,” said Mr Pita, who has the support of the coalition to head the planned government.

However, the coalition must muster at least 376 votes from the 750-member Parliament, comprising 500 elected MPs and 250 senators.

The conservative-leaning Senate, which was appointed by the military following the 2014 coup, could pose a challenge to Mr Pita’s bid for the premiership.

Already, several MPs and senators have voiced opposition to Mr Pita as PM, citing MFP’s intention to amend the controversial lese majeste law that protects the monarchy from insult.

Meanwhile, Mr Pita is being investigated for alleged offences linked to the ownership of media shares when he contested the general election, which is illegal according to Thai law.

Thai security forces are on the alert for protests or violence that could erupt as a result of political developments, such as Mr Pita failing to win enough votes to become prime minister, or clashes between groups with opposing views.