Thai PM Vote Delayed

ZHANG:
Today Thailand's parliament postponed a vote for a new prime minister. It's sparking an immediate collision with protesters who are dead-set on getting the country's current leader out of office.

STORY:
The Thai House speaker pushed back the special House of Representatives session to Wednesday after many Members of Parliament failed to turn up.

The current prime minister's People Power Party or PPP, has close to an outright majority with 225 of the 470 MPs eligible to vote, while the opposition Democrat Party has 164 MPs.

Some 70 MPs from the PPP are also threatening to skip the vote, saying they need more time to choose a prime minister.

[Chai Chidchob, Thai House Speaker]:
"Parliament members have nominated opposition leader Abhisit as prime minister, but we don't have enough required members of parliament to proceed with the vote. We then postpone to the next session, next Wednesday."

Every party can nominate their own candidate as prime minister, but while the opposition Democrat Party announced their candidate, the PPP did not.

Thailand's dominant six-member coalition have to seek the name of a prime minister again before the next session of the parliamentary vote starts on Wednesday.

[Somchai Wongsawat, PPP Deputy Leader]:
"Since the parliament has postponed its session, we will have to reconsider the matter. Each party will discuss among themselves and come back here to find a solution. It is normal parliament procedure."

The country is being run by a caretaker cabinet under Wongsawat. He also happens to be the brother-in-law of exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Category:

News & Politics

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