Thailand: PPRP faces major coalition snag

• The pro-regime Palang Pracharath Party’s (PPRP) chances of forming a coalition government have been thrown into doubt as concerns mount that the Democrat Party under its newly elected leader may switch sides and join an alliance led by the Pheu Thai Party.
• However, several Democrat MPs want to join the PPRP-led alliance and set conditions to bargain for key cabinet seats to push for their election campaign pledges.
• However, a party sources stated that the PPRP has become jittery as Mr Jurin and his key supporters, former leader Abhisit, Chuan Leekpai, who is the party’s chief adviser, and Banyat Bantadtan, another former party leader, made it clear that the Democrat Party should not back the PPRP’s bid to set up a government led by Gen Prayut.
• This is because the PPRP are the Democrats’ political rivals, as the PPRP snatched House seats in the South and Bangkok, which are the Democrats’ stronghold.
• Instead, the source state that the Democrat should join the Pheu Thai alliance, as they share a common aim of amending the current constitution, which is widely seen as a tool to help Gen Prayut prolong his grip on power.
• Parties speculated to join the new alliance are Pheu Thai, the FFP, Seree Ruam Thai, Prachachat, Puea Chat, New Economics, Bhumjaithai, Chartthaipattana, Chart Pattana, the Democrats, and the Thai People Power Party.
• However, the alliance would only have a combined number of 361 MPs, still not enough to vote for any new prime minister they nominate.
• Nonetheless, another source said that if the new Democrat executives partner with the Pheu-Thai led alliance to back Mr Abhisit to become the next prime minister, many Democrat MPs would likely subsequently quit the party because they could not accept it working with the Pheu Thai.

External Link: https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1678388/pprp-faces-major-coalition-snag