Coalition Negotiations Continue, Complaints Still To Be Resolved

The alliance of 8 political parties expected to form a new government is hoping to bring forward the formation by 2-3 weeks if the Election Commission speeds up the endorsement of MPs-elect, according to the Bangkok Post. There were further coalition talks held on Wednesday and all parties are scheduled to meet again on June 20. The group have already begun to work on certain issues.

• The Election Commission (EC) has said that the endorsement of elected MPs should be well ahead of the mid-July deadline. It has also said that it has not yet decided whether to accept the complaint against Move Forward leader Pita for holding shares in a media company. The investigation will begin after the poll results are official. Pita has said that he was holding the shares after his father died and had been unable to sell them and that he had disclosed this to the EC. The shares were disbursed before the election. Pita believes the issue won’t derail the formation of a new government as Move Forward won the most seats.
• There is another complaint to the EC for Move Forward’s use of the hammer & sickle in an election cartoon, which could interpreted as anti-monarchism.
• Current PM Prayut has said that he sees little chance of returning for another term.