The Pheu Thai Party and its anti-regime alliance have narrowed down their list of candidates for prime minister to Chadchart Sittipunt and Chaikasem Nitisiti, a party source said on Wednesday.
The source said key leaders of the seven-party bloc led by Pheu Thai agreed on Tuesday to settle on the two names, after Suradat Keyuraphan confirmed that she will not run for the premiership.
The name of Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit was also discussed during the meetings on Monday and Tuesday, but his name was dropped due to concern about possible legal problems, the source added.
Mr Thanathorn was ordered by the Constitutional Court to temporarily step down from his MP duty after it accepted a case against him over a shareholding in V-Luck Media Co on Thursday -- a case that could lead to his disqualification.
Pheu Thai and its allies held talks on Monday and settled the issue in another meeting on Tuesday.
Khunying Sudarat announced on her Facebook page on May 18 that she would not take any political position. Her statement was a bid to lure other parties reluctant to choose sides at the time to join the alliance.
The source said the anti-regime bloc had picked Mr Chadchart as their top choice and will approach him first. If the former transport minister declines the offer, they will hold talks with Mr Chaikasem.
Khunying Sudarat and Mr Chaikasem were on Pheu Thai's party list, and failed to become MPs because the number of constituencies won by the Thaksin-aligned party exceeded its share of the popular vote. Mr Chadchart did not run in the general election. All three were on the list of Pheu Thai candidates for the prime minister's position before the March 24 poll.
The Palang Pracharath faction will propose Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as its sole candidate.
