The Democrat Party can discuss government formation with the Pheu Thai Party, according to the acting Democrat deputy secretary-general.
"Solutions to national problems are the priority," Mr Chaichana Detdecho told reporters on Thursday morning. "Following Pheu Thai's announcement (to exclude the election-winning Move Forward Party from its coalition) yesterday, there are negotiable conditions."
He declined to comment on whether the Democrat Party had been invited to join a potential coalition government led by Pheu Thai.
The Democrat MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat insisted that his party will not support changes to Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese majeste law, and will not support a coalition government that includes the Move Forward Party. The Democrats would not join a government with a minority vote in the House, he added.
Mr Chaichana denied a rumour that the acting Democrat deputy leader, Det-it Khaothong, had discussions with fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra whose daughter Paetongtarn "Ung Ing" Shinawatra is one of the three prime ministerial candidates of Pheu Thai. The other candidates are Srettha Thavisin and Chaikasem Nitisiri.
The acting leader of the Democrat Party, Jurin Laksanawisit. (Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya)
Jurin Laksanawisit, the acting leader of the Democrat Party, said on Thursday morning that his party had yet to reach a resolution on whether it would join the new coalition government.
Mr Jurin said his party had not assigned any member to discuss the issue.
The Democrat Party came sixth in the May 14 general election, winning 25 House seats. Political observers viewed that the 77-year-old conservative party could be a choice of Pheu Thai that must gather enough votes for its prime ministerial candidate Srettha who would be nominated to the parliament possibly on Friday.
On Wednesday Pheu Thai, which came second in the May 14 general election with 141 House seats, announced to dump Move Forward that had 151 House seats.