Pita Limjaroenrat, Prime Ministerial candidate for the Move Forward Party, gives a speech for supporters on July 09, 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)
Move Forward party supporters hold up placards during a pro-democracy protest outside Thailand’s Parliament building in Bangkok on July 13, 2023, as lawmakers vote on a new prime minister following the country’s general election. (Photo by Jack TAYLOR / AFP)
Instead, they elected the young and progressive Move Forward party led by 42-year-old Pita.
Pita and his party had run on a campaign of promoting democracy, removing the military’s influence on politics and revising the lèse-majesté law, which jails people for criticizing the monarchy.
Move Forward Party leader and prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat (C) takes part in the Pride March event in Bangkok on June 4, 2023. (Photo by MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP via Getty Images)
In order to become Thailand’s next prime minister, Pita needed to secure more than half of the votes from the country’s full National Assembly.
Pro-democracy protesters gathered in Bangkok to protest against the Thai Election Commission’s decision to ask the Constitutional Court to suspend Pita Limjaroenrat, the Move Forward Party Leader and prime minister candidate over allegations that his ownership of shares in a media company makes him ineligible. (Photo by Peerapon Boonyakiat/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
This includes members of the House of Representatives, who were elected on May 14, and the senate, which is currently comprised of unelected, military-appointed members.
On Thursday July 13, Pita earned 324 votes, falling short of the 376 he needed.
Move Forward Party Leader and prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat speaks to the media in the Thai Parliament after the parliamentary vote for the premiership in Bangkok on July 13, 2023. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)
Just weeks earlier, the election commission launched a sudden investigation into whether Pita had violated election rules because he owned media shares during the election period.
Move Forward Party Leader and prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat (C) speaks inside the parliament chamber before the vote to decide the country’s next prime minister in Bangkok on July 13, 2023. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)
Pita’s supporters say it is an attempt to invalidate the election results and discredit Pita, who could not only be suspended as a member of parliament but face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty, according to Al Jazeera.
Pro-democracy protesters gathered in Bangkok to protest against the Thai Election Commission’s decision to ask the Constitutional Court to suspend Pita Limjaroenrat. (Photo by Peerapon Boonyakiat/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Parliament will re-vote on a prime minister on July 17, and Pita has said he will run again and not give up.
Pita Limjaroenrat, prime minister candidate and leader of Move Forward Party speaks to the media during a press conference after the first Parliamentary session in Bangkok.(Photo by Peerapon Boonyakiat/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“With the result of what happened in the Parliament, I accept it but I’m not giving up,” Pita told reporters.
