On July 19, the Thai parliament will vote again to choose a new prime minister, deputy house speaker Pichet Chuamuangphan informed AFP on Friday.
“The schedule is the same,” Pichet said, confirming local media reports on when the ballot would be held.
After liberal front-runner Pita Limjaroenrat’s candidacy for the top position was thwarted by pro-royalist members, the Thai parliament announced on Friday that it will hold another vote on a new prime minister the following week.
The election will be held on next Wednesday, according to AFP’s interview with Pichet Chuamuangphan, deputy house speaker.
After nine years of army-backed administration, young Thais were hungry for progressive reforms, which helped Pita’s Move Forward Party (MFP) win the most seats in the May elections.
But the military-appointed senators in the senate rejected the Harvard-educated millionaire’s bid to head the next administration on Thursday because they viewed his promise to change the country’s draconian royal defamation rules as a red line.
Despite being the only contender on the ballot on Thursday, Pita was only able to win 51 of the 375 votes required to be appointed.
It is yet unknown whether Pita will be renominated or whether he would face any extra challengers in the upcoming election, according to Pichet, a politician for the coalition partner Pheu Thai of the MFP.
