Pita to push for Thai PM votes in Bangkok this evening after morning rally in Suphan Buri

BANGKOK (The Nation Thailand/ANN): Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat called on voters in Suphan Buri province to pressure their MPs and senators to vote for him as prime minister.

He was addressing supporters in a mass rally on Sunday held at Wat Pa Lelai kindergarten’s sports grounds in Suphan Buri’s Muang district.

Pita is scheduled to hold a similar rally to drum up support outside Bangkok’s CentralWorld on Sunday at 4.30pm before he moves to Pathum Thani on Monday evening and Samut Prakan on Tuesday evening.

The Suphan Buri school’s sports ground was filled with supporters dressed in orange – a colour symbolising Move Forward.

In his speech, Pita said several senators have said they will uphold democratic principles and vote for the side that won the most votes in the May 14 election.

“We must provide moral support for senators to be brave enough to vote in line with the votes cast by the people,” Pita said.

Parliament is scheduled to convene a joint sitting on Thursday to elect the next prime minister. Pita’s coalition commands 312 MPs, but he will need 64 more votes from senators or MPs outside the eight-party bloc to be elected as PM.

Chart Thai Pattana, whose stronghold is Suphan Buri, has 10 MPs – nine constituency and one party list.

Pita said MPs and senators should vote on principles that would bring Thailand back to “normalcy”.

“In four days, it will be the day of decision-making. This day will show what Thailand will be like in 10 or 20 years. I would like to ask all of you who know MPs and senators from Suphan Buri to talk to them in unity. Please explain to them that their vote will not be to select Pita or to select Move Forward, but will be a vote for democracy,” Pita said.

Observers see the rallies as using social measures to press senators into supporting the “people’s side”. Pita has backed this by repeatedly saying his coalition earned more than 27 million votes from the people on May 14. – The Nation Thailand/ANN