The Pheu Thai Party will hold a discussion on who will get the House speaker post on Wednesday, after some of its MPs voiced their disagreement with a plan to let the Move Forward Party (MFP) take the position.
Phumpat Patcharasap, a Pheu Thai MP for Nakhon Phanom, said on Tuesday that the issue will be raised at an orientation session for MPs who have been officially endorsed by the Election Commission, which will take place later today.
"The views and opinions of the party's MPs and members must be taken into account. We also need to listen to what the party's negotiators who are in talks with the MFP have to say before a conclusion is reached," Mr Phumpat said.
"All party MPs must be allowed to vote on the matter before a decision is made," he said.
"However, I have to admit that our party members still have differing opinions over the issue," he noted.
The battle over who gets the House speaker post is still continuing after Pheu Thai on Monday denied having earlier agreed to let the MFP take the position.
Pheu Thai deputy leader Phumtham Wechayachai on Monday said both parties have yet to agree on the matter, despite claiming on Sunday that the MFP had agreed to give Pheu Thai two deputy House speaker posts in exchange for the House speaker position.
He backtracked on the statement he made on Sunday, saying he was merely stating his belief that the House speaker position should go to the party which won the most votes in the May 14 election.
However, by the time he issued the clarification, MFP secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon had already thanked Pheu Thai for agreeing to step aside and let his party take the position, commending the party for taking the initiative.
Pheu Thai list-MP Sutin Klungsang said issues relating to the House speaker role must be thrashed out by Pheu Thai and the MFP together.
According to Mr Sutin, Pheu Thai has many candidates who would be suitable for the post and that whoever becomes the next speaker must have a great deal of experience in parliamentary matters.
Responding to reports that Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew is among the candidates being considered for House speaker, Mr Sutin said if Dr Cholnan does become the next speaker, he must resign as the party's leader because the speaker must maintain neutrality.
"But that's not a problem. We have many candidates to choose from," Mr Sutin said.
