The election in Thailand this week has seen the Move Forward Party, and other progressive opposition parties, take the lead from military-backed parties. Source: Sirakorn Lamyai/Wikimedia
The results of this week’s Thailand election has seen the youth-led Move Forward Party to take the lead as Thai votes, particularly young voters, deliver a major defeat for its military-packed parties that have ruled for close to a decade.
The progressive Move Forward Party and populist Pheu Thai Party are projected to win 286 seats in Thailand’s 500-member House of Representatives.
Despite being project to be the front runner, the Pheu Thai Party came a close second to Move Forward, which rode a wave of votes from the country’s youth.
Coming in third was Bhumjaitai, the party which spearheaded the recent campaign to legalise cannabis in Thailand. Bhumjaithai is projected to win roughly 70 seats.
Pheu Thai Party is led by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the heiress of Thailand’s billionaire Shinawatra family, and has influence over some of the country’s key institutions. Last month, she told ABC News that her party would “make Thai people richer, more comfortable with our policies.”
However, some believe she is just a proxy of her father, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Move Forward’s leader, Pita Limjaroenrat is a 42-year-old former executive of a ride-share app. His party has a strong liberal agenda, focusing on weakening the military’s political roles, and amending strict laws on royal insults which critics say is used to stifle dissent.
However, Move Forward’s agenda is likely to be a sticking point when it comes to Limjaroenrat being elected prime minister.
Due to skewed parliamentary rules allowing 250 members of a military-appointed Senate to vote for who is elected prime minister.
The parliamentary rules were established by the Thai military after its coup in 2014.
In order to secure government, the Move Forward will likely have to form a coalition with the Pheu Thai Party. The parties would also need to gain support from other political camps, including Senate members sided with Thailand’s military parties.
This means it could still take weeks for voters to find out the results of the 2023 Thai election.
