BANGKOK – The Thai parliament will convene tomorrow for a special meeting to vote for a new prime minister following the court ruling that dismissed Srettha Thavisin yesterday.
In a statement signed by the secretary-general of the House of Representatives, Arpath Sukhanunth, said House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha sent a notice to all MPs yesterday evening, calling on them to convene a meeting at 10am tomorrow.
“Lawmakers will vote to consider giving approval to a person who should be appointed as prime minister according to Section 159 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand,” he said in a statement here Wednesday.
Yesterday, Thailand’s constitutional court dismissed Srettha from his prime ministership after finding him guilty of appointing a minister with criminal conviction in May.
Meanwhile, local media reported that Phumtham Wechayachai of the Pheu Thai party has been named acting prime minister, as he was the first deputy prime minister and also commerce minister under Srettha’s administration.
Thailand’s constitution stipulates that to become the prime minister, a candidate needs to receive the support of a majority from existing MPs totalling 493 MPs, which means that 248 votes or more must be obtained.
Out of a total of 500 parliamentary seats, six Move Forward Party MPs have been banned from serving after the party was dissolved by the constitutional court last week, while the MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat was suspended for involvement in buying votes.
After the MPs elect the prime minister, the next step is for the prime minister to submit a proposed list of ministers to the king for further appointment. – August 15, 2024