The caretaker government will set up a new whip drawn from political parties in the former coalition to ensure their MPs toe the line in voting for the next prime minister on July 13.
Outgoing Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn revealed the plan on Wednesday.
He rejected speculation that the outgoing-government coalition parties were divided following voting for the first deputy speaker on Tuesday. He said there were no talks ahead of the vote because there were no party whips to enforce discipline.
Padipat Suntiphada, a Move Forward Party MP for Phitsanulok, received 312 votes and was elected first deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. His challenger for the post was Witthaya Kaewparadai, a list-MP of the United Thai Nation Party (UTN) who received 105 votes.
Some political commentators viewed Mr Witthaya’s candidacy for the deputy speaker’s post as a test-run by the outgoing coalition, in case it decides to put forward a prime ministerial candidate to challenge Pita Limjaroenrat of the Move Forward Party (MFP).
There were 496 membersin the chamber for the voting. There were 77 abstentions and two invalid ballots. The UTN and other parties expected to be in the new opposition bloc had a combined 187 votes to distribute. Bhumjaithai Party MPs abstained from voting.
Mr Chaiwut denied that a meeting of caretaker cabinet ministers and outgoing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at Government House on Wednesday was indicative of political manoeuvring in the wake of Tuesday’s voting in parliament.
He said Tuesday’s vote did not reflect any division among the old government coalition parties. As there was no whip, the parties had not held any talks. He insisted that all parties in the former government remained united.
Most of the 77 abstentions in the vote for first deputy speaker were by Bhumjaithai Party MPs. Mr Chaiwut was asked if Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul had explained the move to Gen Prayut. He replied that the prime minister was not taking the issue seriously, reiterating that there had been no talks among the parties before the vote.
In any case, Mr Chaiwut now believes it is necessary to set up a whip comprising the existing coalition parties. It would be in place before parliament meets on July 13 to vote for the prime minister, he said.
He denied that setting up a whip was an idea floated by Gen Prayut, saying the prime minister did not get involved in parliamentary matters.
Caretaker Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin, a deputy leader of the UTN, also denied there was any special agenda after his meeting with Gen Prayut, the party’s prime ministerial candidate, at Government House on Wednesday.
Gen Prayut had just invited him in for coffee. There were also other cabinet ministers there, he added.
Meanwhile, speculation persists that the old coalition parties are looking for a way to prevent Move Forward from forming a government with Mr Pita at its head.
Such a scenario would involve Pheu Thai abandoning the MFP-led coalition and teaming up with Bhumjaithai and the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP). They would then attempt to form a government with PPRP leader Gen Prawit Wongsuwon as prime minister.
Mr Chaiwut, who is the deputy PPRP leader, denied any knowledge pf such a plan, saying he had never heard about it. Gen Prawit has also brushed aside such speculation in recent days.