The party at the head of Thailand's ruling coalition decided on Friday (January 27th) to nominate Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan as a candidate in the next legislative elections where he will challenge his old ally, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha.
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We unanimously nominate Prawit Wongsuwan to be our party's sole candidate
," said Paibul Nititawan, number two of the Palang Pracharath (PPRP) led by Prawit.
The announcement was made in Bangkok, during a press conference in all sobriety, in the absence of the person concerned.
Legislative elections in the spring
The 2017 constitution provides for the possibility for each party to nominate up to three names for the post of prime minister.
A national ballot to renew the lower house is expected in the spring, although no date has yet been announced.
The 77-year-old former general Prawit served as interim prime minister from August to September 2022, when Prayut was temporarily suspended by the Constitutional Court.
The two men, united by their military career, are long-time relatives.
Prayut Chan-O-Cha (68), who came to power following a coup in 2014 and was elected prime minister in 2019, declared himself a candidate for re-election, under the banner of the Ruam Thai Srang Chart , newly created.
Exile in Dubai
His declining popularity, tarnished by the difficult recovery of the Thai economy after the pandemic, feeds the hopes of his opponents, starting with Pheu Thai, the main opposition party.
Pheu Thai should announce among its candidates for the post of prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra (36), the daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, overthrown by the army in 2006. This billionaire, who lives in exile in Dubai to escape a conviction for corruption, continues to animate Thai political life.
Even if Pheu Thai won a majority of the lower house's 500 seats, the kingdom's constitution gives military-backed candidates an advantage, as the 250 government-appointed senators also vote for prime minister - a disputed point. by the opposition.
