Thailand’s People’s State Power Party (Palang Pracharath), the main government formation, announced Friday former army chief Prawit Wongsuwan as its candidate for prime minister in the upcoming May elections.
The Palang Pracharath is the party linked to the military coup junta that seized power in 2014 and governs in coalition since the 2019 elections, in which it finished first in votes but second in seats.
The formation, however, ended up leading the government thanks to the support of other parties and the enormous ascendancy over the elections exercised by the military, who elected on their own 250 senators favorable to the Army and, by extension, to Palang Pracharath.
Prawit’s appointment has been confirmed by the senior party official Wirat Rattanaseth, after what was a «unanimous decision», according to statements reported by the Thai channel PBS.
Prawit, 77, could face in the elections the current Prime Minister of the country, and his protégé, the 2014 coup leader Prayuth Chan Ocha, now a member of the United Thai Nation Party, who has not yet said his last word and has hinted at an attempt to extend his mandate.
Analysts recall, however, that the relationship between the two remains excellent. In fact, Prawit served as acting head of government for a time last year after Prayuth was temporarily disqualified by the country’s Constitutional Court following an opposition complaint about his term limit.
A double candidacy of the two, separately, would thus multiply the chances of victory of the pro-military formations in the elections.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
