Urgent : Pita loses in first joint sitting vote for prime minister

14 Sept 04:05 Key points summarised by AI

Pita Limjaroenrat's bid to become Thailand's prime minister failed after he secured only 324 votes, falling short of the 375 required in a historic joint parliamentary sitting.
A major point of contention was his Move Forward Party's controversial campaign promise to review the lèse-majesté law, which many senators and MPs viewed as a threat to the monarchy.
Pita also faced significant opposition due to his alleged ownership of shares in ITV, a media company, with the Election Commission having already referred this disqualification case to the Constitution Court.
Despite his appeals for national unity and arguments that his party's election victory represented the will of the people, a substantial number of lawmakers abstained or voted against his premiership.

Public expects most Kla Tham MPs to back Cabinet in censure vote, NIDA Poll finds

Yesterday 12:30 Key points summarised by AI

A recent NIDA poll indicates that a plurality of the public (30.38%) anticipates Kla Tham Party MPs will vote to support all 18 cabinet ministers targeted in the upcoming no-confidence debate.
Respondents believe the Ministry of Interior (38.78%) and the Prime Minister’s Office (21.37%) will face the toughest questioning during the censure debate.
Economic issues, particularly alleged incompetence in addressing problems (34.27%) and the rising cost of living (25.88%), are cited as the primary concerns for the government during the censure.
The public holds high expectations for the Opposition's case, with 45.65% believing clear, concrete evidence will be presented against all 18 ministers, and 41.22% expecting substantial evidence against specific ministers.