The Future Forward Party (FFP) is insisting on nominating its leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit as a prime ministerial candidate on behalf of the seven-party alliance led by the Pheu Thai Party, FFP spokeswoman Pannika Wanich said.
She made the remark after a group of Pheu Thai MPs in the Northeast announced that they would propose Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan — one of Pheu Thai’s prime ministerial candidates — as their main candidate.
Ms Pannika said Mr Thanathorn is eligible to vie for the post even though he is suspended from MP duties by a Constitutional Court order. The court last week ordered Mr Thanathorn to stop performing his MP duties until it reaches a ruling on his alleged breach of media shareholding rules.
Asked if the seven parties in the alliance will proceed if Pheu Thai decides to nominate Khunying Sudarat for prime minister, Ms Pannika said the bloc will have to hold a meeting to decide who they would propose as the group’s prime ministerial candidate.
Pheu Thai MP for Nakhon Phanom Phaijit Sriworakhan earlier said that he would nominate Khunying Sudarat, who was in charge of the party’s election strategy, for the prime ministerial post on behalf of the seven-party alliance. Earlier, speculation was rife that former transport minister Chadchart Sittipunt would be named the Pheu Thai candidate.
Pheu Thai provisionally named three people as prime ministerial candidates — Khunying Sudarat, Mr Chadchart, and former justice minister Chaikasem Nitisiri. However, Khunying Sudarat said on Thursday that she does not want to be prime minister, but was ready to work with the party.
The prime ministerial vote in parliament has yet to be scheduled, as the appointments of the House speaker and Senate speaker are pending royal endorsement.
