BANGKOK, Thailand – The People’s Party has postponed its decision on whether to support a candidate for prime minister, opting to continue deliberations on Tuesday (Sep 2). After a meeting involving the party’s executive committee and over 90 MPs on Monday, the party reaffirmed its core demand for the dissolution of the House of Representatives and a return to the polls as soon as possible.
While both major political factions have accepted the People’s Party’s three conditions, the party maintains it will not allow its 143 MPs, or the 280 total votes it holds, including independents, to be used in forming a government. According to party leaders, any government formed under their conditions would necessarily be a short-term minority administration, intended only to dissolve parliament and call new elections.
The party continues to reject negotiations with either bloc, arguing that neither has implemented effective solutions during their time in office. Legal cases involving both groups remain unresolved and are viewed by the People’s Party as tools for political bargaining rather than a means of accountability.
A disagreement over the dissolution timeline has also surfaced. While the Pheu Thai Party claims it can move faster than the four-month timeframe proposed by the People’s Party, the latter maintains that its conditions remain unchanged. If the acting prime minister wishes to dissolve parliament sooner, the party says that the decision can be made unilaterally, without renegotiating the terms.
The People’s Party has made clear it does not trust either bloc, but will weigh each proposal on its merits and real-world conduct. The party stated that its stance is based strictly on principle and evidence, with decisions guided by what it considers a rational assessment of risk, not by emotion or political rivalry. (NNT)
