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Thailand to hold another PM vote next week but Pita's bid over - speaker

20 July 2023 09:04 (UTC +04:00)

Thailand's parliament will hold another vote for a prime minister next week which cannot include the leader of election winners Move Forward, a deputy speaker said on Thursday, after his re-nomination was blocked, APA reports citing Reuters.

Parliament's move to deny Pita Limjareonrat after a marathon debate on his eligibility on Wednesday triggered angry street protests, as a post-election crisis deepens two months after his party trounced military-backed rivals in an election.

"A candidate can only be nominated once in each parliamentary session," Deputy House Speaker Pichet Chuamuangphan told Reuters on Thursday.

The U.S.-educated Pita, 42, has faced tough resistance from conservative and royalist forces that clash with the party's anti-establishment policies.

On Wednesday, parliament voted to block his second bid for the premiership and the Constitutional Court suspended him as lawmaker as it investigates a case against him over allegations that he violated election law for holding shares in a media company. Pita denies breaking election rules.