Thai junta-backed party needs allies
Thailand’s army-backed party needs only a small number of allies to get enough votes to allow coup leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha to cling to power, according to final election results released late yesterday that were immediately challenged by anti-junta rivals.
The junta-linked Palang Pracharat party now has 115 seats in the lower house, only 11 votes shy of a majority in the combined parliament thanks to 250 military-appointed senators.
The results were announced more than a month after the March 24 vote, the first election since the military seized power in a 2014 coup. It was held under new rules crafted by the generals, including the creation of appointed senators who can vote for prime minister.
Despite the booked-in advantage, the lower house results leave Palang Pracharat needing a little help from coalition partners. The most obvious candidates are Bhumjaitai and the Democrat Party, which both have more than 50 lower house seats.
Officials from both parties said yesterday they have yet to reach a decision. A number of smaller parties are also up for grabs. Palang Pracharat could not immediately be reached for comment.
A whopping 27 parties will have seats when parliament convenes within 15 days. Yesterday’s results are likely to set off horsetrading, negotiations and challenges.
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